Wildlife
TV SERIES & DOCUMENTARIES
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CONTENTS 5 6|7
Synopsis About International Animal Rescue
8 | 13
British Diver Marine Life Rescue
14 |17
Donkey’s
18 | 23
Britain’s Unusual Pets
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Production Company
25
Executive Producers
26
Chief Cinematographer | Editor
27
Director | Producer
29
Equity
30 | 31 32
EIS Perks & Benefits
Save the Animals
SYNOPSIS WILDLIFE Documentaries and TV Series would like to bring awareness to the public about some of the great organisations that highlight the lives of animals, those involved with their preservation, and what the future might hold for many of the world’s endangered species. The conflict between humans and animals continues to be an ongoing story.
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INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL RESCUE
From domestic cats in the UK to orangutans in Indonesia. Our rescue centres span three continents and care for hundreds of animals at any one time.
INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL RESCUE (IAR) Is an animal protection and conservation non-profit organisation that comes to the aid of suffering animals with hands-on rescue and rehabilitation and the protection of wildlife habitats. 6 WILDLIFE
INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL RESCUE Our vision is a world where humans and animals coexist in sustainable ecosystems. Our mission is to build awareness and implement effective systems such that habitats and animals are protected. At International Animal Rescue we not only save animals from suffering, we also rehabilitate and release them back into the wild and work to protect their precious natural habitats. Our work includes cutting free and caring for captive bears in India and Armenia, rescuing and rehabilitating orangutans and other primates in Indonesia and treating injured and orphaned howler monkeys in Costa Rica. Our aim is to return animals to their natural environment wherever possible, but we also provide a permanent home for those that can no longer fend for themselves. As human populations expand, wildlife comes under increasing threat. By rescuing individual animals belonging to species like the orangutan and reintroducing them into protected areas in the wild, our work also plays a role in the conservation of the species as a whole. KEY ORGANISATIONAL GOALS Develop awareness to create mutual collaboration and collective action to protect natural habitats and the wildlife therein. Stimulate communities, government institutions and private stakeholders to take an active role in the management and protection of forests. Implement effective and/or innovative methods and approaches to reduce the trade in wild animals.
Ensure that animals remain safe in their habitat and that where/when appropriate, vulnerable animals are rescued, and to increase knowledge to expedite the release of animals into the wild. For animals that are not viable for release, provide sanctuary. OUR HISTORY Over 30 years of relieving animals from suffering. Since 1989, we have been dedicated to ending animal suffering, whilst protecting the environment for people and planet. We believe we can restore the balance between humans and wildlife for a more sustainable and healthier planet. Join us on a journey below as we reflect back on what has been an incredible three decades for animal and habitat protection. OUR SUCCESSES Over the last 30 years we’ve been at the forefront of animal welfare and have had many wonderful successes. Not least of all helping to end centuries old traditions of dancing bears in India. In 2009, animal welfare history was made when the 400 year old tradition of Indian dancing bears was brought to an end. International Animal Rescue, along with our partners Wildlife SOS and Free The Bears, have rescued over 600 bears in total, all of whom have been given a permanent home and lifetime care at the sanctuaries in India. The practice of dancing bears was made illegal in India when the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into effect. However it wasn’t until the end of 2002, when the Wildlife SOS
Agra Bear Rescue Facility opened its doors, that there was anywhere to house confiscated dancing bears. The first six bears were brought into the centre on Christmas Eve 2002 but soon the bears were pouring in and the project was operating four rescue facilities in Agra, Bannerghatta, Bhopal and West Bengal. Crucial to the success of the project was the rehabilitation of the ex-bear handlers, known as the Kalandars. They were each provided with a package so that they could learn new trades and continue supporting their families after surrendering their bears. For the first time Kalandar children were able to attend school and receive an education sponsored by the project. WHERE WE WORK International Animal Rescue has projects all over the world! From domestic cats in the UK to Orangutans in Indonesia. Our rescue centres span three Continents and care for hundreds of animals at any one time. In 2009 we established the first rescue centre for orangutans in West Borneo. Since then we have rescued over 200 orangutans and are currently caring for 111. In West Java we also run the only slow loris rehabilitation centre in the world, where we care for hundred of lorises rescued from the cruel pet trade. In this same centre our team also rehabilitates rescued macaques, many of whom were kept in tiny laboratory cages or forced to dance for human entertainment.
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BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE
International Animal Rescue is an animal protection and conservation non-profit organisation that comes to the aid of suffering animals.
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BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE
With its hands-on rescue and rehabilitation in the United Kingdom, IAR coordinates the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation which was called out in the last year to rescue 1650 seals, 94 dolphins and 36 whales. Staffed by a small full-time team, BDMLR has 3000 volunteers who have been trained to rescue marine and freshwater mammals. British Divers Marine Life Rescues mission is to provide assistance to any aquatic (marine and freshwater) animal in need of help. It does this through the training of specialist marine mammal medics and deploying them around the country.
Teams use an array of specialist rescue and PPE equipment to facilitate the rescue and release of animals from mammals (seals and cetaceans, and the odd otter) plus turtles and even fish. Over the years BDMLR has built a reputation for its high standard of work and exceptional knowledge and has been contacted by many overseas organisations and governments to assist with training personnel or providing rescuers and gear. BDMLR’s training programme provides knowledge of marine animals, rescue techniques and equipment available to ensure successful rescue.
Our medics are all volunteers and can become involved in the organisation as much or as little as they want. BDMLR also provides ongoing training and skills development to ensure medics are as highly trained as possible. Cornwall is one of the busiest regions in the country for calls to seal pups. For over 10 years, BDMLR have not only been rescuing pups from around the South-West region, but have also been taking them into its seal pup hospital.
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BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE (10 x 1 hour episodes) This hospital acts as an essential overflow for the regions larger rehabilitation centres, and BDMLR provide temporary, emergency care for seal pups until spaces become available at the larger centres. There they can fully complete their rehabilitation and get ready for release. So far, the hospital has admitted over 550 seal pups who would otherwise have had nowhere else to go in their time of need. Each pup’s care has been under the direct supervision of veterinary surgeons experienced with seals and supported by a fantastic community of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure pups are kept comfortable, fed and clean.
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BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE
The documentary series of 10 x 1 hour episodes will follow the work that these exceptional volunteers do to save the lives of Britain’s largest sea creatures. With the opening of the new Seal Pup Hospital in Cornwall, to being on the water filming real-time rescues, the documentary will show the extent and variety of tasks and undertakings that BDMLR do on a daily basis on the eleven thousand miles of British coastline. Click for link to BDMLR
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BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE
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BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE Human greed has led to the decline of many seal populations. In the past, millions of seals were killed for their valuable meat, blubber, and pelts. In some countries seals are still killed in large numbers because fishermen blame them for the decline in fish. We began filming seals in Cornwall a year ago. Seals are just part of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue that covers the entire British coast with their three thousand trained volunteers who also rescue dolphins, whales and other distressed marine mammals. We plan to cover the work of BDMLR in a series of 10 one hour episodes for television. Filming marine life presents challenges. While beach stranding is relatively easy to film, once on the water, other issues including safety and wild seas make the work treacherous and dangerous. However, the work that BDMLR volunteers do is rewarding and to be admired – their stories are touching and heart-felt, and make wonderful television.
Coastal marine life and rescue is an ongoing project that we are planning to turn into a six part television series. The Covid-19 outbreak has disrupted filming but we are intending to return to more filming in the summer of 2021. WILDLIFE 13
DONKEYS
(2 x 1 hour documentaries)
Donkey’s are regarded as cute animals by children and adults alike. In the UK today they are generally only seen as beach donkey’s used as attractions at seaside resorts.
Donkeys are regarded as the cutest of animals particularly to children and it is mostly in Britain they are known as beach donkeys used as attractions for tourists. The beach is perhaps the more benign form of use compared to many other countries where they are regarded as beasts of burden, carrying huge loads beyond their own weight which often cripple them for later life. However Britain has its fair share of cruelty too with evidence of this coming from many donkey sanctuaries in the UK, who tell multiple stories of animals being abused not just in working situations but also by farmers and ordinary members of the public. Luckily in the UK donkeys are often retired from their beach work and they are happily housed in one of the good many donkey sanctuaries in and around the country. These sanctuaries take in donkeys that have been rescued from intolerable conditions, and undergo lengthy rehabilitation before being re-homed (quite often as pets).
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(2 x 1 hour documentaries)
DONKEYS
This is not the case in other places, abroad the picture for donkeys is even more dire with terrible working conditions where the use of the donkey is as ‘beast of burden’ carrying extensive loads as part of the working culture there. Speaking with donkey rescuers, charities and donkey enthusiasts at home and abroad, the film looks into the abuse donkeys suffer at the hands of their employers in places like Ethiopia and Greece. Behind the picturesque façade which tourists see and often promote, there is another world faced by the donkey of cruelty with daily beatings to control them. Wildlife has travelled to Ethiopia and the Balkans to see how things are there for working donkeys where they are essential to the everyday living of the people who own them. From helping to build civilisation from the dawn of time, to present day where they still carry water, firewood, food sacks, and building materials, the donkey is the backbone of the day to day lives of millions. However, all this is now been turned on its head by a new threat that has become more pressing in that it could endanger the numbers of donkeys by removing almost 10 percent of the world population of donkeys each year. This trade is for the skin of the donkeys to be used in Chinese medicine as a source of gelatin for the promotion of health. The trade for what is known as Ejiao, has been happening for centuries in Asia and traditional medicine. It is made by boiling donkey skin and used as a gel or powder in food and drinks as well as skin care products such as night creams. The overall expansion of traditional medicine also to Europe and the Americas, as well as in China has devastated the world donkey population.
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DONKEYS
(2 x 1 hour documentaries)
The donkey population in China has now more than halved from around 11 million animals in 1992 to less than three million in 2019. On a global perspective the numbers are also worrying - the demand for up to 5 million donkeys per year is facing a worldwide donkey population of 41 million, according to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Today’s retail price of ejiao is $800 a kilo. At present there are four and a half million donkey skins processed every year and the supply cannot keep up with demand. The rate at which they are being sold or stolen for the ejiao trade means that the future of the donkey is under threat. Ethiopia
In order to see their conditions first-hand, the film-maker producer Robbie Moffat travelled to Ethiopia and the Balkans to see how things are there for the humble donkey. Balkans
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(2 x 1 hour documentaries)
DONKEYS
SAVE THE DONKEYS Wildlife Limited talks to donkey owners, rescuers, and donkey lovers about the hard-working lives and retiral of donkeys in the UK, and abroad, in a touching tribute to the lowly placed donkey in its struggle to survive new threats and misconceptions about it role where it faces continued hardship. Should the donkey be used in this way? Is donkey use something that should be phased out? If so how can it’s work load be reduced particularly in countries where whole industries depend on it for their livelihood. In some countries, the withdrawal of the donkey as a beast of burden could cause severe poverty for their owners. How can this be offset by safeguards to protect the donkey from the worst forms of abuse? The team at Wildlife Limited are attempting to find out what the future for donkeys is likely to be with an in depth investigation into the donkey’s burden, and investigating the global extent of the ejiao trade and the means by which donkeys are being taken to slaughterhouses for their skins.
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Warren Photographic
BRITAIN’S UNUSUAL PETS (13 x 30 mins. episodes)
Axolotl The axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, also known as the Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander related to the tiger salamander. Although colloquially known as a “walking fish”, the axolotl is not a fish but an amphibian. Britain prides itself as being an animal loving nation. Pets are in nearly every home – dogs, cats, budgies, hamsters – common and numerous throughout the land. However, there are also many animal lovers who have embraced the exotic as well as the weird and wonderful. From goats to dangerous spiders, from turtles to snakes and everything in between, Britain’s homeowners possess an overwhelming variety of pets. Whether it is a micro pig or a pygmy goat, an octopus or a hissing
cockroach, we will show that such creatures live and are looked after by pet owners in Britain. People love their pets and they are quite rightly proud of them and often want to show them off. This is the basis of the 13 x 30 mins. TV series that has been devised. The series will explore how Britain developed a fascination for weird and wonderful pets from around the world and will look into the welfare as well as the well-being of the pets and their owners, the symbiotic relationship where it exists, and why
The animals shown are examples and may not be featured in the series 18 WILDLIFE
owners have made their choices on the pets they keep. We will discover the cute and the adorable, the dangerous and the frightening, and the reasons behind the owners’ fascination in their pet’s behaviour. This series is in contrast to the Wildlife’s regular focus on endangered species in wild and distant places. However, the keeping of pets is quite often the starting point for developing a love of animals and that is what makes Britain an animal loving nation.
(13 x 30 mins. episodes)
BRITAIN’S UNUSUAL PETS
Dangerous wild animals’ licences are required to keep animals that are considered to be wild, dangerous or exotic. These are granted by councils, provided requisite safety measures at the owner’s home are met and a fee is paid. Licences are also issued to properties where animals may be receiving care after being rescued, or living at small private farms, where people keep wild beasts for breeding purposes. More than 300 cobras, vipers and rattlesnakes are being kept in UK homes. Wild animals including lions, tigers, crocodiles, rattlesnakes and zebras are being kept legally on private property across the UK, figures have revealed. More than 100 councils have issued licences to people who keep undomesticated animals at home, a freedom of information request by the Press Association news agency found. It also showed more than 300 cobras, vipers and rattlesnakes
are being kept. Animal welfare experts have expressed concern at the findings.
Cannock Chase Council has issued licences for three tigers and two lions.
Animals in the UK
Among the most popular dangerous pets are lemurs, a small primate, 115 of which are kept in domestic settings.
 Licences for pumas, lynxes, ocelots, lemurs, vipers, ostriches and an assortment of wild cats have been issued in Cornwall. Wolves, alligators, caiman crocodiles, black widow spiders, venomous snakes and short-clawed otters are being kept in central Bedfordshire.
15 wolves are registered at UK addresses. 412 bison and more than 2,000 wild boar live in private fields in the UK, along with a score of zebras.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said the charity was “deeply concerned” about the figures. “People may buy them with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and the animals are sometimes neglected when the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home. “This is why we would encourage anyone thinking of getting an exotic pet to find out as much as possible about the animal’s needs and whether they’re a realistic pet.” The Freedom of Information (FoI) request was sent to every council in the UK, of which 363 replied.
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BRITAIN’S UNUSUAL PETS (13 x 30 mins. episodes) Black Mamba The black mamba is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. First formally described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is the secondlongest venomous snake after the king cobra; mature specimens generally exceed 2 m and commonly grow to 3 m.
Caiman Crocodile A caiman is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within Alligatoridae, the other being alligators.
Fennec Fox The fennec fox is a small crepuscular fox native to the Sahara Desert, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and the Arava and Negev deserts in Israel. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat. The fennec is the smallest canid species.
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(13 x 30 mins. episodes)
BRITAIN’S UNUSUAL PETS
Mini Pigs Miniature Pigs, also called Mini Pig, Micro Pig, Teacup Pig or Pygmy Pig, are small breeds of domestic pig, such as the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pig, Göttingen minipig, Juliana pig, Choctaw hog, or Kunekune.
Tarantulas Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. Currently, 1,010 species have been identified.
American Pygmy The American Pygmy is an American breed of achondroplastic goat. It is small, compact and stockily built. Like the Nigerian Dwarf, it derives from the West African Dwarf group of breeds of West Africa.
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BRITAIN’S UNUSUAL PETS (13 x 30 mins. episodes) Sugar Glider The sugar glider is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar and its ability to glide through the air, much like a flying squirrel.
Lynx The Lynx is a medium-sized North American lynx that ranges across Alaska, Canada, and northern areas of the contiguous United States. It is characterized by its long, dense fur, triangular ears with black tufts at the tips, and broad, snowshoelike paws.
Octopus Octopus are soft-bodied, eight-limbed molluscs of the order Octopoda. The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids.
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(13 x 30 mins. episodes)
BRITAIN’S UNUSUAL PETS Marmoset The marmosets, also known as zaris or sagoin, are 22 New World monkey species of the genera Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term “marmoset” is also used in reference to Goeldi’s marmoset, Callimico goeldii, which is closely related.
Gila Monsters The Gila monster is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. A heavy, typically slow-moving lizard, up to 60 cm long, the Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States.
Sidewinder The sidewinder, also known as the horned rattlesnake and sidewinder rattlesnake, is a venomous pit viper species belonging to the genus Crotalus and is found in the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The sidewinder reaches speeds of up to 18 mph.
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PRODUCTION COMPANY
Wildlife WHERE ONLY THE WILD GO!
Wildlife as a production company came into being at the end of 2016. Originally called Nellie Productions, the company’s first major documentary was Walking With Elephants that took three years to shoot. It involved six filming journeys to Africa and covered 110 days of filming. It was dangerous and often hazardous work that required our small crew to be hardly and self reliant. Walking With Elephants was shown in early form at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 as a ninety minute feature film. Consequently, due to the the vast amount of footage that was shot, the company is in the process of creating two 1 hour versions for television. There is a lot to elephants, and a lot of filming to do in the future to bring a clearer story of their plight to public attention. While the company was involved with the elephant filming, it was asked by International
WALKING WITH
ELEPHANTS THE ULTIMATE DOCUMENTARY
WALKING WITH THE ELEPHANTS
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Animal Rescue to film bear rescues in Armenia. This work began in late 2019 but was halted by the Covid outbreak. The company is waiting to return to Armenia to follow up on the continuing bear rescues that are being carried out as well as visiting India to film the three bear sanctuaries set up by IAR. The company similarly in 2019 was given permission to film by British Marine Divers Life Rescue their work in Cornwall. Out of this has evolved talks to create a ten part 1 hour series on the work that BMDLR all around Britain with the participation of some of their three thousand plus volunteers and vets. International Animal Rescue is aiding us in this series. Donkeys came on the company’s radar while shooting elephants in Africa. As a species they seemed to be rather ignored, taken for granted,
not thought about much as an endangered species. Subsequently we discovered their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate of 10% a year because of the Chinese ejiao trade. Initial filming in Ethiopia and the Balkans has prompted the company to start on a two part series that covers the plight that donkeys face. In late 2021 the company is beginning its Unusual Pets project. How many of these animals have been taken from the wild is hard to estimate, but unusual pets usually mean they have come from unusual sources. We want to to take a look over thirteen half hour programmes. In summary, the company is very active and involved in some great projects that highlight the lives of animals, those involved with their preservation, and what the future might hold for many of the world’s endangered species.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
WALKING WITH
ELEPHANTS THE ULTIMATE DOCUMENTARY
Red Rock Entertainment is a film-finance company based at the world famous Elstree Studios, home to some of the biggest TV shows on UK television and the studio of choice for many successful British filmmakers. WALKING WITH THE ELEPHANTS
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Working in conjunction with many of the UK’s top production companies to raise equity for film, TV content and film distribution, Red Rock Entertainment offers a number of tax-efficient opportunities to investors. Primarily working on projects that are at an advanced stage and are looking for the final tranche of financing, they focus on film and TV projects that have commercial appeal, an identifiable audience, controllable costs and a sound financial structure. They also require that certain elements are in place before thery commit investors to any film or TV venture. As an executive producer, Red Rock Entertainment can arrange for investors to visit sets during filming, appear as extras and attend private screenings. It also regularly arranges seminars at Elstree Studios, at which high-profile corporate and financial specialists offer advice and insight into the various tax advantages of investing in the UK film industry. Executive producers either personally fund or raise the funding for motion pictures or television shows. They essentially act as the financial backer, helping production companies to secure the finances they need to drive their creative projects to the distribution stage. As executive producers, Red Rock Entertainment’s main role during the production process is to ensure that its film and TV projects are progressing according to schedule and budget. Although they have no direct input into a project’s editorial or artistic execution, they do have a say over anything that could affect its timing or marketability.
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CHIEF CINEMATOGRAPHER | EDITOR JULITA DEKA
Julita, in her early thirties is from a small village in Poland, moving to London in 2012 to seek out better opportunities. She soon after began producing videos for online interaction and viewing with worldwide community network ‘Focal local’. The work that Julita did here captured the attention of Robbie Moffat who was impressed by the maturity and innovation of her video work. Wildlife work is not always easy, but she creates quality and engaging films that she shoots and edits with Robbie. Since 2016 Julita has been collaborating with Robbie when they worked on Robbie’s drama and have created the content for Wildlife Limited. Whether it is elephants, donkeys or bears, documenting the preservation of endangered species, her contribution to their preservation is an important part of work she does. It is sometimes an uphill challenge on location to get those vital shots she wants, though most times she gets what she needs, she always wants more for the edit. She is the main cinematographer and editor of Wildlife’s films. Julita also works as director of photography on feature films.
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DIRECTOR | PRODUCER Robbie has been in the arts and entertainment business for forty five years. As a novelist, dramatist, festival organiser, film maker and business man, he has succeeded at telling stories and making a living from his work. Now in his sixties, his interest in wildlife has prompted him to focus on the human – wildlife conflict that we are presented with on a daily basis.
ROBBIE MOFFAT
From elephants facing extinction, to questions about the future of donkeys, his story-telling skills are being put to making compelling films that highlight animal issues. Born in Glasgow, educated at Sir John Maxwell Primary and Shawlands Academy. Degree in English Language and Literature from Newcastle University. Poet, novelist, playwright, screenwriter - director of theatre and screen movie producer. His first movie was 35mm shoestring budget Love The One You’re With which was nominated for best Scottish Film 2000. Thereafter his output has been prolific with no-budget adventure films like the Winter Warrior, Bone Hunter and Axe Raiders, and contemporary features Hawk and the Dove, Finding Fortune, Rain Dogs and Cycle. Championed independent Scottish film production, he found himself drawn into battles over Scottish Screen’s alleged nepotism and favouritism that, after a bloody political battle that at times Moffat fought seemingly single-handed, made him something of a local legend in Scottish film production circles. Moffat famously refused to abuse his position after the board of Scottish Screen were replaced, and continued with independent funding of his feature output that included a 35mm biopic of Robert Burns’- Red Rose. After making ten Scottish features in six years, Moffat moved his company to Pinewood Studios with his co-producer Mairi Sutherland and made a further eighteen feature films. WILDLIFE 27
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EQUITY INVESTING IN FILM CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL THING!
Red Rock Entertainment works in conjunction with numerous UK film companies to raise equity for independent film projects. It focuses on those films that have already been completed or are almost complete, but require a final tranche of funding to cover the distribution costs. Investing in films can offer generous returns. The benefits extend far beyond the sale of box-office tickets: DVD sales, licencing to TV broadcasters and online platforms, and merchandising revenue all count towards a film’s profit and can continue to generate returns for many years after its theatrical release. The chance to be part of the magic of the movie industry is another perk of many film-investment opportunities. In some cases, your investment entitles you to appear in the movie as an extra, attend film premieres and red-carpet events, and see your name appear in the credits at the end of the film. As well as the potential for high returns, long-term earnings and a close encounter with show business, investing in the British film industry can also offer tax-relief benefits. A range of incentives are available to those who chose to invest in an SEIS or EIS film investment scheme. WILDLIFE 29
EIS
ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SCHEME
The UK has two government-sponsored investment schemes for direct investment in companies: the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). Both schemes, which offer generous tax relief, were set up to encourage investment into start-up businesses that are not listed on a stock exchange. Investment in unquoted companies often carries a high risk. The tax relief is intended to offer some compensation for that risk.
Enterprise Investment Scheme The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) was introduced by the UK government in 1994 with the aim of helping small UK companies to raise capital from private investors. While an EIS investment is not without risk, the incentives for those looking for tax-efficient ways to invest are extremely attractive. These benefits include:
Income Tax Relief Investors can claim a rebate of 30% of the amount invested from income tax paid in the year prior to investment, or on tax that is owed in the tax year of investment. Relief can be claimed on up to a maximum of £1,000,000 invested in shares in EIS-qualifying companies, giving a maximum tax reduction in any one year of £300,000, providing the investor has sufficient income-tax liability to cover it. Shares must be held for at least 3 years. 30 WILDLIFE
ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SCHEME
EIS
Capital Gains Tax Deferral If investors have any capital gains tax to pay in the current or next tax year, or if they have paid capital gains tax in the last two to three years, they can claim back or defer tax to the equivalent of up to 20% (or 28% if the gain is on a residential property or for 2015/16) of the capital they have invested in the EIS-qualifying company. If the gain is deferred, when the EIS shares are disposed of then the gain will crystallise at the prevailing rate at that time. The payment of tax on a capital gain can be deferred where the gain is invested in the shares of an EIS-qualifying company. A capital gain can arise from the disposal of any kind of asset, but the investment must be made within a period of one year before or three years after the gain arose. There are no minimum or maximum amounts for deferral, nor is there a minimum period for which the shares must be held. The deferred capital gain is brought back into charge whenever the shares are disposed of, or are deemed to have been disposed of under the EIS legislation.
Loss Relief If a loss is made on the disposal of EIS shares then the loss, less the 30% initial relief may be set against income or capital gains for tax purposes.
Key Points EIS investors can place a maximum of £1,000,000 in a single tax year, which can be spread over a number of companies.
Companies seeking investment must be based in the UK and have a permanent base in the country.
No inheritance tax to be paid after two years. No income tax or capital gains tax to be paid on any profits on disposal.
A company can raise no more than £5,000,000 in total via EIS investment in a 12 month period.
The company’s be no more years old.
trade must than seven
Loss relief on any monies lost can be claimed at current tax rate.
Investors have no control over companies that receive their capital and must not hold more than a 30% stake in any company in which they invest.
Tax relief of 30% can be claimed in the current or previous tax year (from date of share certificate).
Monies must remain in the company for three years to benefit from the above.
A capital gains deferral can be claimed against the current tax year. WILDLIFE 31
PERKS & BENEFITS Private Screenings Private film screenings form part of a film’s production and release cycle. To show off the film to its best advantage, special preview screenings are routinely held in low seat-count theatres offering high-quality projection and sound equipment. These events, which are usually accompanied by food and drink, also feature commentary from the film’s producers, writers or actors. The guest list for a private screening typically includes VIP media personalities, investors, and key marketing and distribution executives.
Red Carpet Events A red-carpet premiere is highpoint of a film’s release.
the
Attended by its stars, alongside A-list celebrities, industry moguls and the media, they epitomise the Hollywood dream. When one of our films premieres, our investors are invited to join us on the red carpet, and experience the glitz and glamour of showbiz for themselves.
Name in the Credits
Memorabilia As an investor, if available you will have access to film memorabilia, including autographs, brochures, props, advertising material and scripts. These are not just great keepsakes — if a film goes on to be successful, they can also be valuable in their own right. (below only examples)
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Puma The cougar is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae. Native to the Americas, its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.
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Wildlife &
TV SERIES
DOCUMENTARIES
Suite 12 Elstree Studios, Shenley Rd, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JG, UK Telephone: +44 203 745 5380 info@redrockentertainment.com | www.redrockentertainment.com