Tipping Point Film Fund Launches

An innovative, not-for-profit fund to help finance the making of documentary films launches today in London.
Tipping Point Film Fund (TPFF), supported by The Co-operative, is extending the idea of 'crowd funding', whereby independent filmmakers can tap into their networks in order to raise production funding.
TPFF aims to grow its donor base by reaching out to campaigning networks, independent film goers and online social networks, through a mix of regular giving, one-off donations and support from major donors.
Through these routes, TPFF aims to create a rolling, sustainable fund that can support a number of films at any time, and which can ultimately contribute a large enough portion of a production budget to ensure it can be made and allow creative independence. Equally important will be TPFF's involvement in the outreach of the film at home and abroad.
TPFF founders are a unique mix of film and campaign professionals whose experience with documentaries such as Black Gold ( www.blackgold.com) led them to explore the potential of traditional charity donors funding films that advance public and political debate.
Co-founder Deborah Burton said: "As feature documentaries about social and environmental issues find a growing global audience, the struggle for production funding remains constant - despite the recognition that such films can and do contribute to significant social change. We want to create a new funding stream for accessible and cinematically strong social issue feature documentaries.
"To be able to support such filmmakers, we want to build a donor base of regular givers - people who are excited by and see value in directly supporting films for change, people of all ages, all walks of life, who want to come with us on the journey from development, through to distribution to campaigning."
Paul Monaghan, Head of Social Goals and Sustainability at The Co-operative, said: "The Co-operative has three million members and a unique 165-year history of campaigning. Using a democratic co-operative model, we believe that Tipping Point Film Fund can play a unique role in bringing important untold series to people's attention and hope that these films will help mobilise our members and the general public."
TPFF co-founders previously campaigned with Danny Glover on the critically acclaimed film Bamako by Abderrahmane Sissako, which was executive produced by Glover and his producing partner Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films.
Danny Glover said: "I'm fully supportive of what Tipping Point Film Fund is doing. To use the medium of film to move and inspire people to get involved in important social justice issues is critical.
"In the US, we have an opportunity right now - with an administration that is hopefully listening - to exert an influence on how policy is shaped and implemented. We must make use of that opportunity and momentum and ensure our voices are heard."
The Tipping Point web-site will go live on July 8 at: www.tippingpointfilmfund.com.
(KMc/BMcC)