About Gold Tree

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Chonacas has been a visionary entrepreneur from a young age, long before his move to Los Angeles. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, he began his creative journey excelling in illustration and graphic design. His passion evolved into photography, where his unique ability to capture beauty earned him awards, scholarships, and recognition in the arts.

Growing up in a large, low income family, Chonacas understood the challenges of pursuing a career in the arts. Turning down scholarships and other opportunities, he chose to dedicate himself entirely to mastering business. His relentless pursuit of knowledge quickly yielded results, becoming a respected luxury motorsports salesman. This success allowed him to acquire a chain of tanning salons, which later expanded into real estate, flipping houses independently without the aid of banks or investors. With financial independence and a wealth of business acumen, Chonacas sold his businesses to return to his first love…art.

Entering the independent film world in 2008, Chonacas founded Untouchable Films, initially raising production financing for several prominent companies. His extensive industry network and sharp negotiation skills led him to produce his own films, establishing Untouchable as a well known independent production company with a current slate of 55 feature films.

In 2016, Chonacas’ reputation caught the attention of industry leaders, landing him the role of managing a $15 million film fund on the Paramount Pictures Studio lot, a major success that propelled him to launch his own fund.

By 2018, Chonacas co-founded Gold Tree Films alongside his longtime attorney and producing partner, William J. Immerman. Their partnership secured sought after productions with A-list talent, along with $50 million in equity financing through Bank & Trust. Though the COVID-19 pandemic halted the financing, Chonacas persevered, pushing the company forward.

In 2022, Chonacas launched Gold Tree Studios with Immerman as COO, establishing its flagship location on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The cutting edge facility set a new standard for post-production services. Despite industry strikes, Chonacas kept the studio afloat and expanded to Buffalo, NY, and Vancouver Island, Canada.

Following Immerman’s unexpected passing in 2023, Chonacas honored their shared vision by founding Animation GT, a subsidiary of Gold Tree dedicated to full spectrum film and TV animation. The company secured partnerships with top industry leaders and acquired multiple high-profile IPs.

Now in 2025, Chonacas has secured $1 billion in financing from Malka Equities, becoming their exclusive partner for Film, TV, and Animation. The funding will fuel a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem offering production facilities, equipment rentals, and tax-incentivized properties.

Immerman (1944–2023) was a renowned attorney, producer, and executive in the film industry, remembered for his immense contributions to cinema. He also practiced law specializing in representing sales agents, producers, financiers, and distributors, negotiating complex financing deals, and serving as production and distribution counsel.

Previously, Immerman served as president of production at RSVP Entertainment, an independent motion picture production company partially owned by Salem Productions, his independent film production and consulting company. Through Salem Productions, Immerman provided production and business affairs services to film production and distribution companies. He also served as senior executive vice president and COO of Yari Film Group, an independent film production, distribution, and finance company. Before that, he was senior executive vice president and COO of Crusader Entertainment, an Anschutz Film Group company. At Crusader, he was an executive producer of Ray, the biopic of Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx, which received six Academy Award nominations and won two Oscars.

Immerman earned his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin and his J.D. from Stanford Law School. He also served as an officer in the United States Army Reserve, attaining the rank of Captain. His career began as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, after which he entered the motion picture industry with American International Pictures (AIP) as Associate Counsel. At AIP, he held several positions, including Director of Business Affairs, Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Vice President of Business Affairs, and Production Executive. He was also a member of the production committee with greenlight authority on all projects.

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Immerman later joined 20th Century Fox as Vice President of Business Affairs, where he served as chief negotiator for talent, production, and distribution and represented Fox on the boards of the Motion Picture Association of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. He was later promoted to Senior Executive Vice President of Fox’s film division, where he played a pivotal role in approving iconic projects like Star Wars, Young Frankenstein, The Omen, and Silver Streak.

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After leaving Fox, Immerman entered into an exclusive production deal with Warner Bros. and later became Executive Producer of Highpoint, one of the first films to benefit from Canadian tax incentives. He then founded Cinema Group, the first motion picture startup to raise funds through both a private placement and an IPO. As Chairman of the Board and President of Cinema Group, he oversaw the production and co-financing of films including Staying Alive, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Flashdance.

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Immerman’s prolific career included producing or executive producing numerous films, such as Swimming Upstream, Danny Deckchair, Sound of Thunder, Sahara, What Doesn’t Kill You, The Maiden Heist, Where the Red Fern Grows, Nothing But the Truth, The Barber, Papa: Hemingway in Cuba, Bitter Harvest, Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story, Before We Go, and The Hurricane Heist.

He served on the National Advisory Board of the Sundance Film Festival and the National Advisory Board of the DeSantis Center for Motion Picture Industry Studies at Florida Atlantic University. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA, served as a director of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2010, he was honored with the Louis B. Mayer Award from the UCLA Anderson School of Management as the Outstanding Motion Picture Business Executive of the Year.

William Immerman’s legacy lives on through his monumental achievements and contributions to the film industry, inspiring generations of filmmakers and executives. Gold Tree will always remember him and his legendary foresight, continuing to break new barriers throughout the industry.