In September of 2022, Mountaintop partnered with top Hollywood producer Andy Horwitz to launch Big Swell, a home for the next generation of young, hands-on producers and story tellers who strive to make content of all shapes and sizes.
Big Swell's goal was born from the notion of taking the on-the-ground experience of young producers and applying it to a producer collective model. Big Swell takes a different approach than the traditional production company model that's existed to date, allowing Big Swell producers to operate independently under the Big Swell banner while encouraging a collective and collaborative approach with all their producers. The company has a robust slate with a number of high profile film packages ready to shoot in early 2024, and a number of high profile films, scripted television series, and unscripted projects in the advanced development stages.
The goal of Mountaintop and Big Swell is to combine Horwitz’s deep creative relationship base and wealth of experience navigating the Hollywood landscape, and Mountaintop’s relationship base within the Israeli and European content business in order to bridge the gap between those regions and Hollywood, bringing Israeli creations to Hollywood and American productions to Israel.
The Team
Andy Horwitz
CEO
Andy Horwitz is a film and television Producer and Entertainment executive with over 16 years of experience in the Entertainment business. Most recently, Horwitz served as Executive Vice President of Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment where he'd been for about 15 years. While at Atlas, Horwitz served as an executive and produced tent pole films, independent features, television series, and podcasts for both the traditional studio system as well as the independent film business, which collectively generated billions of dollars in revenues and worldwide critical acclaim. During Horwitz’s time at Atlas, they produced four of the top 100 grossing films of all time.
In 2019, Horwitz served as Producer on J.C. Chandor’s Triple Frontier, starring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, and Pedro Pascal, which Netflix released to record setting numbers. Triple Frontier was watched by more than 63 million accounts and over 120 million people in its first 4 weeks, making it Netflix’s fifth most popular original film ever at the time. Before that, Horwitz served as co-producer on David Ayer’s Suicide Squad starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, and Viola Davis. The film opened in 2016 and holds the largest August opening weekend in history with $135.1 million domestically. In its second and third weeks, the film held the number one spot and grossed over $745 million worldwide at the box office.
Horwitz also served as Producer on The Hollow Point starring Patrick Wilson, Ian McShane, Jim Belushi and John Leguizamo, and Executive Produced William Monahan’s Mojave starring Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund, which A24 released.
In 2013, Horwitz co-produced David O. Russell’s American Hustle starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards® including Best Picture and won three Golden Globes® including Best Picture, three BAFTAs including Best Original Screenplay, among numerous critics’ awards including the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Picture and a SAG Ensemble nomination. American Hustle was the biggest limited box-office release of 2013. The film has since grossed over $250 million worldwide.
In 2019, Horwitz served as Producer on J.C. Chandor’s Triple Frontier, starring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, and Pedro Pascal, which Netflix released to record setting numbers. Triple Frontier was watched by more than 63 million accounts and over 120 million people in its first 4 weeks, making it Netflix’s fifth most popular original film ever at the time. Before that, Horwitz served as co-producer on David Ayer’s Suicide Squad starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, and Viola Davis. The film opened in 2016 and holds the largest August opening weekend in history with $135.1 million domestically. In its second and third weeks, the film held the number one spot and grossed over $745 million worldwide at the box office.
Horwitz also served as Producer on The Hollow Point starring Patrick Wilson, Ian McShane, Jim Belushi and John Leguizamo, and Executive Produced William Monahan’s Mojave starring Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund, which A24 released.
In 2013, Horwitz co-produced David O. Russell’s American Hustle starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards® including Best Picture and won three Golden Globes® including Best Picture, three BAFTAs including Best Original Screenplay, among numerous critics’ awards including the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Picture and a SAG Ensemble nomination. American Hustle was the biggest limited box-office release of 2013. The film has since grossed over $250 million worldwide.
Aaron Horwitz
Executive Producer - Non-Fiction
Aaron Horwitz brings to Big Swell nearly 15 years of experience in Unscripted. He began his career in on-set production, spending several years as a Field Coordinator and ultimately Producer for VH1, GSN and others. Wanting to have more of a hand in shaping creative, he started over and transitioned to the development side of the business as Development Assistant at GRB Entertainment (Emmy Award winners for Intervention). After quickly climbing the ranks to become Coordinator and then Manager of Development at GRB, Aaron moved to the network side as a Current Programming executive at Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). At OWN, he spent six years creating and overseeing dozens of shows, including award-winning programming like Oprah’s Master Class. His passion at OWN — one he has brought with him to Big Swell — was helping shepherd the network’s sports-themed content, developing docuseries with Deion Sanders, Michael Sam, JaVale McGee and others.
Aaron is also an avid screenwriter with a deep nostalgia for the 80s and 90s films he grew up on — a theme that shows up everywhere in his work. His first produced screenplay was Lionsgate's Roommate Wanted, a tense dark comedy starring Spencer Grammar and Alexa Vega. He followed that with The Cleansing Hour, a Shudder Original horror flick that was one of the platform's 5 most watched and talked about films of 2020. Most recently, Aaron wrote Green Bank which will star Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Scream, Yellowjackets), and is to be directed by Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within). Green Bank will be one of Big Swell’s first films to start production in early 2024.
Aaron is also an avid screenwriter with a deep nostalgia for the 80s and 90s films he grew up on — a theme that shows up everywhere in his work. His first produced screenplay was Lionsgate's Roommate Wanted, a tense dark comedy starring Spencer Grammar and Alexa Vega. He followed that with The Cleansing Hour, a Shudder Original horror flick that was one of the platform's 5 most watched and talked about films of 2020. Most recently, Aaron wrote Green Bank which will star Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Scream, Yellowjackets), and is to be directed by Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within). Green Bank will be one of Big Swell’s first films to start production in early 2024.
Stephen Emery
Executive Producer
Stephen Emery held the title of Head of Film & TV at leading Hollywood production company and financier The Solution Entertainment Group from January 2016 until October 2022, where he was instrumental in targeting, developing, packaging, and producing a wide slate for both film and television. He has Executive Produced Killerman, starring Liam Hemsworth, Line of Duty, starring Aaron Eckhart, Honest Thief, starring Liam Neeson.
Before then, Emery served as Executive Vice President of Production and Development at Circle of Confusion, where he was instrumental in building the feature film and television production slate. While there, he Executive Produced Mr. Right starring Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell and Wake, starring Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, and Ellen Burstyn.
Before then, Emery served as Executive Vice President of Production and Development at Circle of Confusion, where he was instrumental in building the feature film and television production slate. While there, he Executive Produced Mr. Right starring Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell and Wake, starring Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, and Ellen Burstyn.
Mark Maley
Executive Assistant
Mark is a 2013 West Point Graduate and prior service Armor Officer. He has co-produced the indie films The Last Deal, which recently premiered on STARZ and The Bunker, starring Tobin Bell (Saw) and Tony Todd (Candyman). He has worked as the Executive Assistant to Todd Hoffman (The Mule, Modern Love) at Storied Media Group, and as a Production Coordinator for Stage 29 Productions (Dr. Phil network of shows), before joining Big Swell Entertainment as the Assistant to Andy Horwitz and Stephen Emery. Mark launched the Atlanta/Savannah Chapter of the 501(c)3, Non-profit – Veterans in Media & Entertainment and serves on the leadership committee for the parent chapter here in Los Angeles.