BREAKING: The Weinstein Company is close to signing film finance veteran David Hutkin to join the company and oversee a new division called Strategic Initiatives, Investments & Banking Group. I’m told that Hutkin is in talks to come aboard as executive vice president, and will bring with him longtime colleague Vivian Tarn. Hutkin has spent 15 years working in senior structured and corporate debt underwriting within the entertainment industry at numerous banks. Most recently, he has been head of entertainment finance for the First California Bank, and before that worked for Bank of America, ICB Entertainment Finance and The Lewis Horwitz Organization. Hutkin has worked on financing for hundreds of films that include My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Monster, The Illusionist and Showtime’s The Tudors.  Hutkin, who’ll be based in Los Angeles, will oversee TWC’s film funds and investor deals and report to co-CEOs Harvey and Bob Weinstein and COO David Glasser.

The Weinstein Company has been on an upswing, recently adding Donna Gigliotti as production president of The Weinstein Company and Brad Luff as Dimension films production president and the company heads into Oscar season with several contenders including the Tom Hooper-directed The King’s Speech. Hutkin will look for more opportunities like Weinstein’s formation of a picture funding alliance with billionaire Len Blavatnik and acquire movies in conjunction with Icon UK.

Get the latest Industry news sent straight to your Wall.