Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, has signed a first-look deal with award-winning Scottish production company, Firecrest Films. The new deal will give Banijay Rights exclusive access to brand new documentaries, factual television series and features from the critically-acclaimed producer.
Glasgow-based Firecrest Films has expanded rapidly since taking a minority investment from the Channel 4 Growth Fund in 2017; and in 2018 was named the fastest-growing independent television company outside London. The investment enabled the company to expand its creative team and diversify by adding high-end documentary and factual formats to its catalogue. In the following year, Firecrest won more awards than any other Scottish indie, and it was highlighted as one of The Best Places to Work in TV; it made both the highest-rating Panorama film for BBC One and the highest rating Dispatches film for Channel 4.
Included in the Banijay Rights catalogue will be Firecrest’s critically-acclaimed legal documentary, Murder Trial: The Disappearance of Margaret Fleming (2 x 60’) for BBC Scotland and BBC Two. Filmed by BAFTA Scotland award-winning director Matt Pinder, this compelling documentary is described by the press as “A gripping legal drama about neglect and avarice in a remote coastal community, a tragic and often surreal tale delivered with sensitivity and meticulous craft.”
Murder Case (2 x 60’) is another Firecrest Films production for BBC One Scotland and BBC Two, and is also included in the catalogue. The factual crime series achieved more than six million viewers and has already been commissioned for a further 3 x 60’ series.
The Secret Life of the Museum (4 x 60’), a new factual format for BBC Scotland, is also part of the new deal between Banijay Rights and Firecrest Films. The Secret Life of the Museum will be available from Banijay Rights as either a format or finished programme. Currently in production, the series follows nine children aged around ten-years-old as they visit different museums. The children’s experiences are then intercut with interviews with curators from the museum who tell us the facts behind the collection.
Andreas Lemos at Banijay Rights comments, “We could not be more excited by this latest partnership. We have long-admired Firecrest Films. Its factual series and documentaries have not only made a huge impact on screen but have resonated in the wider media as well – just going to show the power behind the stories that they choose to tell. We cannot wait to introduce Firecrest’s work to the international market, who we know are waiting in anticipation.”
Nicole Kleeman, Managing Director of Firecrest Films adds, “It’s a hugely exciting time to be a fast-growing indie in the Nations. Having the support from Banijay Rights will help us continue our growth into new genres and markets.”