a series of 3 unique documentary feature films … · 2017-09-11 · secret journey of the dalai...

THE COMPASSIONATE FILM SERIES 1

PRODUCED BY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

THECOMPASSIONATE FILM SERIES

A Series of 3 Unique Documentary Feature Films

2 THE COMPASSIONATE FILM SERIES

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. Dalai Lama


CONTENTS 5

6 - 7

8 - 9

10 - 11

12 - 13

14 -15

16 - 17

Introduction

An Officer and his Holiness

Road to Happiness

Return to Ladakh

About Us - Red Rock Entertainment Ltd Illumina Studios & Media Ltd

United Nations | Our Producer

SEIS

“About Ancient Unseen Lands, Cultures and One Of The World’s Greatest Leaders”


toINTRODDUCTION:

The Compassionate Film Series is a Mini-Series of 3 One-Hour broadcast slot TV documentaries related to Tibetan Buddhism made for the international marketplace. They have been developed by British film and television Production Company Illumina Studios & Media Ltd with Award Winning filmmakers, journalists and authors as creative contributors.

The films can be shown by broadcasters in one hour special TV slots on their own or together as a series. All the films aim to highlight the ancient and vibrant cultures, stories, traditions and wide international interest in the subjects relating to Tibet and Buddhism. The current market for television series is strong and these films are intended to capitalise on this trend.

The unrivalled access to some of the world leading figures, including His Holiness Dalai Lama combined with unique cultural content is intended to be relevant and appealing to a broad international audience. The telling of the stories in the series represents the culmination of many decades of storytelling history and back stories and are to be told on film for the first time with some of the worlds leading talent.

The focus of these films is to be inspiring and educational whilst providing a window into more compassionate alternative world views with a basis in history and direct relevance to the modern world. Illumina Studios and Media Ltd is proud to be making these socially and culturally relevant films.




AN OFFICER AND HIS HOLINESS


Fifty eight years after China’s Most Wanted Man escaped from occupied Tibet, this powerful documentary film follows The Dalai Lama as he returns to the Tibetan borderlands for the first time retracing his remarkable journey into exile in 1959.

One of the most significant moments of 20th Century history, this is the secret journey of the Dalai Lama’s journey into exile is told through exclusive access the Dalai Lama and the previously unknown private diary of the Indian high official who led him to safety.

The Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet sparked one of the greatest stories of our time. As Tibetans descend from the Himalayan Plateau and settle gain asylum in countries across the world, their refugee story highlights the importance of compassion amongst peoples and nations. Many Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama hope to peacefully return to Tibet, what implicit

THE DALAI LAMA: Returns

Format: 60’ documentary feature film for international broadcastBudget: £350kStage: Currently on location with HH in India for Principal Photography

lessons can we learn gain from their ongoing story?

Told through interviews with those who were on this historic journey: The Dalai Lama, his younger brother: Tenzin Chogyal, Har Mandar Singh and others, profound teachings from the Dalai Lama, this culturally important film shares a message for humanity, and reveals the true story of the Dalai Lama’s journey into exile.

His profound emotional and spiritual experience from spending three weeks with Dalai Lama is retraced by Har Mandar’s Niece: Rani Singh, as she follows retraces their epic 3- week journey of 1959 who along with the Dalai Lama revisits the Tibetan Border in the high Himlayas, through Tawang: the 2nd Largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the world, over the Se La pass and on to Har Mandar Singh’s house in Bomdi La where he hosted the Dalai Lama for a week.


HAPPINESS

THEROAD TO


The film tells the official story of people behind the Gross National Happiness (GNH), a term created by Bhutan’s fourth Dragon King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in 1972.

Since it’s original inception the concept has attracted much international interest and represents Bhutan’s commitment to holistic development and building an economy based on Buddhist spiritual values as an alternative to material development

THE STORY OF: Gross National Happiness in Bhutan

Format: 60’ documentary feature film for international broadcastBudget: £250kStage: Post Production

gauged by Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

With its central character, Dr. Saamdu Chetri, the Executive Director of the GNH Centre in Bhutan and a Buddhist monk, the film follows a personal journey to fulfilling one nation’s vision, at the same time documenting development of the GNH movement around the world at a time of a challenging global social and political climate.


RETURNLADAKH

o

A RARE DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE TREASURES AND SECRETS

OF THE BUDDHIST WORLD AND CULTURE


The documentary film RETURN TO LADAKH follows Andrew Harvey, the author, religious scholar and teacher of mystic traditions, as he returns to the place that inspired his life-long mission of Sacred Activism.

The film will capture the reunion with Andrew and the reincarnation of his spiritual teacher, Kyabje Thouksey Rinpoche, in the very same Monastery Andrew began his spiritual transformation over 30 years ago, a transformation that Harvey documented beautifully in his first

INSPIRATION: Living in Harmony

Format: 60’ documentary feature film for international broadcastBudget: £450kStage: Pre Production. Shoot in Ladakh May – Jun 2018.

book and international best seller, A Journey In Ladakh.

Born in Ladakh in 1986, His Eminence Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche was recognised by H.H. 14th Dalai Lama and H.H. 12th Gyalwang Drukpa as the reincarnation of the first Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche – a prominent figure in Himalayan Buddhism during the last century.

Today he governs the region coragously with potent message for the world.


ABOUT US: Executive Producers

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Her etiksA PAUL HYETT FILM

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INSTRUCTIONS

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david Bradley Abigail Cruttenden Sam GittensHolly Weston Grant Master Neerja Naik Kris Saddler

starring

That Good Night 1

1 DYSTOPIA DYSTOPIA 1

MADNESS IN THE METHOD 1

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JasonMewes

DannyTrejo

MattWillis

KevinSmith

StanLee

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CasperVan Dien

JuddNelson

DeanCain

MickeyGooch

GinaCarano

THEY HAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT MISSION.THEY MUST NOT FAIL.THEY ARE THE LAST.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PROECT THE ONES YOU LOVE?

ENDEAVOR 1

Some journeys are measured by what you sacrifice to get there

JANUARY 2017

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. 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.

It primarily works on projects that are at an advanced stage and are looking for the final tranche of financing. Its focus is on film and TV projects that have commercial appeal, an identifiable audience, controllable costs and a sound financial structure. As an executive producer, Red Rock Entertainment can arrange for investors to visit sets during filming, and attend private screenings. They 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.

After the success with TV and film, Red Rock Entertainment have Added documentaries to their profolio, teaming up with some of the best in the business whom are at forefront of bringing exciting, moving and spritiual content to viewiers. One such company is Illumina Studios & Media Limited who are known for documenting spiritual and consciousness awareness.

RETURN TO LADAKH 1

RETURNLADAKH

o

A RARE DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE TREASURES AND SECRETS

OF THE BUDDHIST WORLD AND CULTURE


ABOUT US: Produced by

Illuimina Studios & Media Ltd are an Independent British Entertainment and Media Company that produces high quality film, television & live event productions. These are delivered with zest, passion and purpose. We create unique productions and environments for UK and international audiences to be inspired and entertained.

This enables us to be in contact with some of the best creative talents, most thought provoking leaders and stories you’ll find anywhere. For eons, well told stories have always been important to society. They can carry

many of our hopes, dreams and fears- both conscious and unconscious. They are incredibly powerful and can help us look at and experience things we may not otherwise be able to.

For us, the best ones even have a transcendental quality, opening us up to new ways of seeing, believing and understanding the world around us and our place in it. Look around today. We all need to be inspired now more than ever.

Our question for you is how can we, as creators, as innovators, as the next generation help to heal our own

and each other’s suffering so that life can have a chance to become a celebration? If this is the kind of question you’d like to answer with your own creative work then we may be in alignment.

With the entry of new content providers, territories and formats into the media landscape there has never been a better time to be a content creator provided we move with the technology and the times.

British Entertainment and Media Company Inspiring International Audiences with High Quality Productions In Film, Television and Live Events.


ABOUT US: United Nations

Illumina Studios & Media Ltd is participating as chair and facilitator of the Arts, Media, Design and Architecture Group at the United Nations Harmony With Nature Programme in New York. The aim of this innovative programme is to harmonise worldwide awareness with nature and to contribute to long lasting social, political, legal and practical changes necessary to protect nature for future generations through the UN.

The programme has already demonstrated its effectiveness and has helped stimulate necessary legal changes around the world aimed at creating new constitutional laws to protect nature. Some of these have already been implemented in countries including Brazil, USA, New Zealand, India, Mexico, Bolivia, Sweden and the UK.

Illumina Studios Director Jean-Paul Mertinez participated in the United

Nations international dialogue within the Arts, Media, Design and Architecture panel that was launched on Mother Earth Day 2016, the dialogue is exploring ongoing ways international experts can contribute to earth centred world views, which were taken to the UN General Assembly in September 2016. The white paper produced by over 127 experts in diverse fields of environmental law, ecological economics, education, hol ist ic science, humanit ies, philosophy/ ethics, the arts, media, design and architecture, theology & spirituality became the keynote address in the September 2016 UN General Assembly and helped

encourage the city of Mexico to adopt the Rights of Nature in their constitution in January 2017.

In April 2017 Jean-Paul presented at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on this subject, highlighting the role of the arts, media, design and architecture to promote the Rights of Nature to international NGOs and Member States. In addition to this, Jean-Paul and indigenous colleagues from Colombia met with the current French Environment Minister in Paris to determine how indigenous understanding of ecology could inform national policy.

All of these important initiatives are being documented in new social impact documentaries currently being made by Illumina Studios & Media Ltd and will serve as a documentary references about the changing world conditions and the responses of civil and political society to them.


ABOUT US: Producer

Jean-Paul Mertinez managing director of Illumina Studios & Media Ltd, a film production company based in Soho, London specializing in the production of high quality film, television and live event productions for the international marketplace. Jean-Paul is a graduate of the National Film & Television School, UK. Since graduating from the NFTS he’s been producing new feature film, television and live event projects that seek to explore the wonders of the natural world, ancient perspectives and cultural traditions, especially those which can have a positive social impact.

He’s worked with retired BBC Director Alan Ereira since the beginning of the ALUNA film, made with the secretive Indigenous Kogi Indians in Colombia.

In 2016 he worked with the United Nations on the “Harmony with Nature” program that aims to align human activity with nature and he spoke at the UN General Assembly in 2017 in

front of world governments about the role of the Arts and Media to inspire positive social change.

Jean-Paul produced the Migrate Charity Auction for Refugees with Christies (London) in 2016 as a creative response to the Refugee Crisis. In 2016 he worked with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Grammy Nominated Gyuto Monks during their UK & Scotland “Pure Sound Tour”.

This included their performances at the opening ceremony of Glastonbury Festival in front of an audience of around 100,000 people and recorded the historic visit on film.

Leon Stuparich is an award winning independent film-maker, who made his debut with the celebrated documentary Road to Peace in 2012, providing a rare insider view into the life of the Dalai Lama and his powerful message of Peace and Universal Responsibility.

With an extensive background in UK and US film and television spanning 20 years, Leon specializes in editing documentaries and factual entertainment programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery and various other global TV productions. Like many directors with a background in editing, he brings a unique storytelling style to his films.

Witnessing his Croatian family endure the violent war years of the early 1990s in former Yugoslavia, by his early 20s, Leon had developed a keen interest in conflict resolution and began to seek peace in his inner life, avidly exploring religious and spiritual ideas and pathways for self-transformation which would come to inspire and inform his work. Today Leon is dedicated to awakening inner peace within other people, in order to participate in creating a more harmonious environment for all..

JEAN-PAUL MERTINEZ


Shares must be held for a period of three years. If shares are disposed of within the three-year period, or if any of the qualifying conditions cease to be met during that period, relief will be withdrawn or reduced.

Relief is available at 50% of the cost of the shares, on a maximum annual investment of £100,000.

Relief is given by way of a

reduction of tax liability, which requires that there is sufficient tax liability against which to set it.

A claim for relief can be made up to five years after the 31st of January of the following tax year in which the investment was made.

As with the EIS, a percentage (50% in the case of SEIS) of the cost of an investment can be claimed against the investor’s income tax liability for the tax year in which the investment was made.

The maximum investment through the SEIS in any tax year is £100,000. As with the EIS or there is no capital gains tax, or inheritance tax to be paid on an SEIS investment opportunity.

Income Tax Relief

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) complements the EIS by offering a range of tax reliefs to individual investors who purchase shares in smaller, early-stage companies. The SEIS is intended to compensate for the difficulties faced by start-ups in attracting investment by offering tax relief at a higher rate than that offered by the existing EIS.

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme

Capital Gains Tax ReliefIf the investor has a Capital Gains Tax liability in the year of investment, then up to 50% of the amount invested can be offset against that Capital Gain, with a potential saving of 10%, being half of 20% (14% for gains on residential properties).

Income tax relief is available to investors who subscribe for qualifying shares in a company that meets the SEIS requirements and who have UK tax liability against which to set the relief. However, there are certain rules:

SEIS: The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme


Who can Participate in SEIS?

Unconnected shareholders should be entitled to all the aforementioned relief schemes. For connected shareholders, income tax relief and capital gains tax exemption are not normally available.

‘Connection’ is defined by a financial interest in, or employment by, the company. Financial interest occurs where the subscriber and their associates (such as parents, children and business partners) control more than 30% of the company.

Employment generally includes directorships but precludes the employment of associates, although directors can participate in SEIS companies if holding under 30%.

Furthermore, there is an exemption for bus iness ange ls who become directors.

The above is intended as a brief guide only. and not financial advice, as with any investment or tax-related issue, it is important that potential investors, seek advice from a financial advisor.

If a loss is made on the disposal of SEIS shares then the loss, less the 50% initial relief may be set against income or capital gains for tax purposes.

SEIS investors can place a maximum of £100,000 in a single tax year, which can be spread over a number of companies.

A company can raise no more than £150,000 in total via SEIS investment.

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.

Companies seeking investment must be based in the UK and have a permanent base in the country.

Companies must have fewer than 25 employees. In the case of parent companies, that figure applies to the entire group.

The company’s trade must be no more than two years old and the company must have gross assets of less than £200,000.

Tax relief of 50% can be claimed in the current or previous tax year (from date of share certificate).

A capital gains write-off of 50% of any gain can be claimed against the current tax year.

No inheritance tax to be paid after two years.

No income tax or capital gain tax to be paid on any profits on disposal.

Loss relief on any monies lost can be claimed at current tax rate.

Monies must remain in the company for three years to benefit from the above.

Key Points

SEIS: The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme


Illumina Studios & Media Limited79 Wardour St, Soho, London, W1D 6QB, UK

T: (+44) (0)20 3355 9972 www.illuminastudios.co.uk



PRODUCED BY

Suite 12 Elstree Studios, Shenley Rd,Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JG, UK

Telephone: +44 203 745 5380www.redrockentertainment.com

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

a series of 3 unique documentary feature films … · 2017-09-11 · secret journey of the dalai...

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