Shares will start trading this week in Content Film, the American production house that has completed a reverse takeover of Winchester Entertainment, the London-based film finance and distribution company. It will be the UK's biggest listed film company.

Content and Winchester have four Oscar nominations between them, with Content responsible for The Cooler (Alec Baldwin for best supporting actor) and Winchester for the international distribution of House of Sand and Fog (Ben Kingsley, best actor, Shohreh Aghdashloo, best supporting actress and best music score).

Content Film plans more UK-based productions over the coming year. Financial backers, including private equity firm Syntek Capital, are understood to be looking for further acquisitions here and abroad. The new company's joint chief executives are Ed Pressman, who produced Wall Street, American Psycho and Reversal of Fortune, and John Schmidt, who founded October Films (Secrets and Lies and Breaking the Waves).

Winchester shares have been suspended since November. A formal announcement of the completed merger will be made this week.