Mark Irwin Forstater was born on 1943 and is an American film and TV producer, author, audio producer, music producer and tech entrepreneur, notable for producing the classic comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and then in 2012 suing the five living members of Monty Python over a dispute regarding royalties from merchandising income, including the Spamalot musical, which was "lovingly ripped off from" the Holy Grail movie.
17 Facts About Mark Forstater
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Mark Forstater has resided in the United Kingdom since 1964.
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Mark Forstater was educated in Philadelphia public schools and graduated in the 216 class of Central High School.
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Mark Forstater attended and graduated from Temple University, in Philadelphia.
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Mark Forstater moved to England in 1964 to read English Literature at the University of Manchester as a visiting student.
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In 1968, Forstater attended the London School of Film Technique, but had to leave after one term due to lack of funds.
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Mark Forstater found a job as an assistant editor on ITV Anglia's Survival.
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Mark Forstater made two short films for the BFI Production Board.
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Mark Forstater has written extensively about the making of the film and a subsequent legal battle over Spamalot royalties in his book The 7th Python.
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Mark Forstater has made over 30 films in a career lasting until today.
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In 1981, Mark Forstater produced the cult classic Xtro directed by Harry Bromley Davenport.
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Mark Forstater produced a drama series Grushko for BBC1, and a number of documentaries for Channel 4 and the BBC.
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Mark Forstater has produced an album of Chinese folk music.
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Mark Forstater has written three further books: The Living Wisdom of Socrates, I Survived a Secret Nazi Extermination Camp, and the autobiographical The 7th Python.
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In 2018, Mark Forstater started a new company with video producer and composer Nathan Neuman, to explore new digital entertainment possibilities, such as VR and AR.
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Mark Forstater produced his latest film Swipe Fever, directed by Nathan Neuman during lockdown in 2020, and was scheduled for theatrical release in the UK in February 2023.
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Mark Forstater has said that the protracted Spamalot royalties case was greatly detrimental to his well-being both financially and mentally.