Begbies staff help fund thriller
A LOW budget film that won plaudits at last month’s Cannes Film Festival was financed through an investment scheme managed by Begbies Traynor.
The Manchester-headquartered accountancy firm’s BTG Corporate Finance division raised £165,000 from 30 people – some of them Begbies staff – through the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) which offers tax reliefs to investors.
White Settlers, a thriller shot in Manchester and the Peak District, follows a young couple from London who set up home in the Scottish borders where they soon realise they’re not welcome.
It was produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones, directed by Simeon Halligan and written by Ian Fenton. It stars Pollyanna McIntosh, who found critical acclaim in The Woman and Irvin Welsh’s film, Filth in 2013. It premiered at Cannes last week.
Jeff Barber, partner at BTG Corporate Finance, said: “Over the last few years we’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers of high-net worth individuals and private investors looking to explore more alternative investment models. The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme is a great opportunity to help fund a range of diverse projects. White Settlers is a fantastic example of this.
“We’ve had a relationship with Rachel and Simeon since 2007, helping them to raise funds for a series of different productions. They have always come to us with not only their production ideas but a solid business plan and sales predictions, which makes sourcing investors an easy process.”
Rachel Richardson-Jones and Simeon Halligan run Manchester-based film distribution firm Grimm Entertainment and also hold a regular horror festival, Grimmfest.
She said: “Access to schemes like the SEIS and EIS are essential for independent production companies like us. The availability of funding through the more mainstream channels is scarce so it’s no exaggeration to say these types of schemes are the lifeblood of independent cinema here in the UK.”
