1st April 2021
Spring uncovers secrets at Imperial War Museums
Spring Films has been commissioned by Channel 5 to produce a six-part series delving into the outstanding collection of Imperial War Museums (IWM) – one of the most loved and visited institutions in the UK.
This is the first time IWM has given an exclusive ‘access all areas pass’ to its archive of over 30 million objects and 50,000 hours of film covering all aspects of conflicts involving Britain from First World War to Afghanistan and Iraq. From Teddy Bears to Battleships, from rare hundred-year-old archive film to GoPro digital footage shot just months ago, each item in the collection tells part of a dramatic story about ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances. Secrets of Imperial War Museums will capture these life affirming, and at times tragic stories through the eyes, memories, hard work and of course humour of the people now associated with them.
In addition, the series will capture the final months of development of two new ground-breaking galleries at IWM London, the Second World War and The Holocaust Galleries scheduled to open this autumn, and the reopening of HMS Belfast as she marks 50 years since arriving into her present location on the river Thames.
Co-Executive Produced and developed by the multi award-winning team Kathy Myers and Richard Melman, Richard said “over the many years I have worked with Imperial War Museums I have always been constantly surprised at what’s in the collection, their remarkable curatorial skills and their ability to look at history from new perspectives. It is a real privilege to be given access to their unique world’.
The Series Editor is Chris Parkin who’s made a number of successful series for Channel 5 including Inside The National Trust and Around The World by Train as well as Inside The Factory for BBC2. The series was commissioned by Guy Davies, Commissioning Editor (VP) Factual at C5.
Secrets of Imperial War Museums is supported by global distribution company Blue Ant International and is available for pre-sale internationally.
Production has commenced and the programme will be delivered later this year.
29th March 2021
The Two Lives of Li Ermao gets Audience Prize
Voted by the audience of the prestigious Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival, The Two Lives of Li Ermao, has received the festival's Audience Prize. Filmed over 17 years across Southern China by director, Jia Yuchuan, this feature documentary co-produced with Doctor Skyfish, follows the intimate and heart-wrenching story of Li Ermao, a transgender migrant worker in search for love and acceptance. Watch the trailer
19th February 2021
Debut Director Nomination!
We are very proud of the wonderfully talented director of How to Stay Out of Jail, Jemma Gander, who has been nominated for Edinburgh TV Festival's Debut Director Award. Many congrats to Jemma and all other nominees. You can still catch How to Stay Out of Jail on Channel 4's streaming platform, which you can find here.
7th January 2021
Spring Films Appoints New CEO
Spring Films has announced the appointment of Chris Smith as its new chief executive. With Smith’s appointment, company founder André Singer will focus more on creative projects and move to the role of chief creative officer. He will continue to work closely with creative director Kathy Myers and with Figs Jackman, Spring’s head of global development. Richard Melman is retiring from his role as managing director and will now concentrate on executive producing several on-going projects.
Smith, a highly experienced executive in the media and telecoms industry, was formerly managing director, investments, at multinational telecoms giant Liberty Global and has previously worked with several production companies focusing on strategy and business development.
As Spring’s new CEO, Smith will focus on securing investment and developing growth opportunities for the company.
Smith said: “Spring Films has a global reputation for producing award-winning documentaries and I’m delighted to be joining such a wonderful team and excited to see what the future holds”.
André Singer said “Spring has enjoyed great success in recent years, and we are all looking forward to growing still further our impact on the world media stage. I am excited to work with Chris in the months ahead.”
For more information contact
Claire Kessie: claire.kessie@springfilms.tv
14th December 2020
The Tinderbox Catches Fire
The Tinderbox produced and directed by Gillian Mosely has won another award the "BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE" at the New York Tri-State International Film Festival 2020.
The Tinderbox was a Media Lab/Spring Films Production.
4th December 2020
Fireball Circles the World
—"Herzog goes behind the camera in 'Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds,’ carrying us through with his strangely soothing Bavarian-accented narration.”
—"It’s quite stunning to watch an actual fireball streak down from above, and it works as the perfect opener to a movie that seeks to spark your imagination.”
—"It’s clear that the makers of this movie are playing things fast and loose with typical documentary structure, and that’s oddly endearing.”
—“another documentary of exceptional standards by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer”
—“the film discusses astronomical science with wit and humor”
13th November 2020
FIREBALL SMASHES INTO APPLE!
The reviews are in for our latest Herzog/Oppenheimer collaboration which launches tonight on Apple TV +.
13th November 2020
Indian Space Dreams Rockets through the Awards
Sue Sudbury's Indian Space Dreams produced with Spring Films and and Haviland Digital has won the three top awards at Filmcon.
- Best Picture
- Best Inspirational Film
- Best Documentary
Congratulations to Sue and the team for an amazing achievement.
9th November 2020
Paddy Wivell Gets an RTS Nomination
Paddy Wivell has been nominated for Best Documentary Director for our second series of PRISON shot in 2019 at HMP Foston Hall. A hugely well-deserved nomination for a powerful and important series. Congratulations and fingers crossed for the awards on the 23rd of November.
https://rts.org.uk/article/nominations-rts-craft-design-awards-2020-announced
9th November 2020
CJA Media Awards 2020
How to Stay Out of Jail has been nominated for the Criminal Justice Alliance Media Awards for 'Outstanding Documentary'. Huge congratulations to Jemma Gander and Martha Baily and the rest of the team who put together a film that the Guardian described as "...almost miraculously uplifting TV that would irrigate your spirit"
The awards are on the 26th of November. Another nice party we can't go to but we will be logging in and irrigating ourselves with spirits of another kind.
16th October 2020
FIREBALL
We are all excited to announce that our new feature length documentary "Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds" directed by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer is launching on Apple TV on November 13th.
Filmed across 2019 in Australia, America, Mexico, India, France, Germany, Norway and Antarctica.
"From pop-culture shivers to the fine-art imagery of micrometeorites — otherworldly particles gathered from everyday surfaces by a jazz musician in Norway and then magnified thousands of times — Fireball delivers the cosmic goods. Its climactic sequences, one on the ice fields of Antarctica and the other on tiny Mer Island, between Australia and Papua New Guinea, are alive with jaw-dropping, soul-stirring beauty. In the first locale, a hunt for meteorites is underway on the polar plateau. In the other, a ritual dance, long in disuse, is revived for the cameras on a remote sunset beach. In very different ways, both episodes place us firmly on a continuum with outer space, and find a kind of ecstasy in knowing that our place in the universe makes us far smaller and less essential than we imagine. " Hollywood Reporter (Read full review here)
Production companies: Spring Films, Werner Herzog Film, Sandbox Films, Hot Docs Partners
Directors: Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer
Screenwriter-narrator: Werner Herzog
Producers: André Singer, Lucki Stipetic
Executive producers: Richard Melman, Greg Boustead, Jessica Harrop, Anna Godas, Oli Harbottle
Director of photography: Peter Zeitlinger
Editor: Marco Capalbo
Music: Ernst Reijseger
International sales: Dogwoof
#Fireball November 13 on the @AppleTV app with an Apple TV+ subscription
14th October 2020
Meeting Gorbachev to screen at UNAFF
Honoured that Meeting Gorbachev has been selected for the 23rd UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival). The event will be held online from October 15th-25th. It celebrates THE POWER OF EMPATHY through documentary films that highlight human rights issues, including environmentalism, racism, health, women’s issues, universal education, war and peace. The film will have it's virtual screening on October 20th, 6pm PDT (California only!). More info on the festival can be found at UNAFF.