B4films announced today their delight that Shetlander George Stroud, CEO of Marin Subsea has injected a six-figure sum of money into the Shetland based feature film, Between Weathers.
The Ellon based entrepreneur was captivated by the story, written by Jim Brown and Marc Pye and was really excited about a movie being shot in the beautiful Shetland Isles.
George Stroud, "I have always had strong links with Shetland. I heard about Between Weathers and having pondered the question for some time about how I could put something back into the community, I got in touch with B4 Films and Jim Brown. I invited Jim and his team to my offices and we started to explore the possibilities of working together. I think this is a brilliant way to invest in Shetland and Scottish business. I couldn’t think of a better way to give something back to Shetland, a place I regard as home. I have been looking for local community based projects to invest in and this one stood out above the rest. I believe that Jim, his team at B4films and their special partnership with Shetland Arts have the right formula, a formula that will help bring a bright creative future to the Shetland Isles and leave a brilliant legacy".
Between Weathers Writer and director Jim Brown said that he went to meet George because he sounded so enthused about the idea. “Money was never mentioned at our first meeting, we had a great lunch and George spoke passionately about Shetland and how it held such a special place in his heart. His love for the place was infectious. It was only after another couple of meetings that George said that he would like to invest in the film. This social investment mirrors the narrative of the film perfectly. It’s about putting something back into the North of Scotland and Shetland. We thank George very much for this investment, an investment that will be instrumental in putting Shetland on the Global map”.
Shetland Arts has been working closely with B4Films for over 2 years to develop the films relationship with Shetland and the legacy the film will create. Shetland Arts with B4Films secured an initial £50,000 investment from Creative Scotland to develop a new social investment model to fund the film. The model is the first of its kind in the world and is set to dramatically change how major feature films could be financed in the future.
Gwilym Gibbons Director of Shetland Arts and Executive Producer, Between Weathers said: "The model was inspired both by the narrative of the film and Shetland's proud track record of securing community benefit from those using Shetland as a location for big business, not least the deals made in the 70's around the oil industry. The obvious difference being that Jim Brown and his team at B4Films were immediately receptive to the idea of building on the very essence of movie, by funding as much of the film as possible through social investors who wanted to leave a lasting benefit for the Shetland community".
Gwilym Gibbons added, “Between Weathers is not just about making a great film, it’s about changing lives and transforming the economic future of a small island community. This first significant sum of ‘social investment’ will generate a number of advantages, not least that the approach ensures the film’s underlying social purpose is protected by ‘asset locking’ a percentage of IP and profits for re-investment into Shetland’s creative community. On behalf of the Shetland community and the generations to come who will benefit from the legacy for Shetland, Between Weathers will create; I wish to thank George for his generous support. I have never met someone before with such passion, vision and desire to put something back into their community and home”.
