A new four-part documentary series celebrating British cinema is coming to BritBox audiences in the UK, US, Canada, and South Africa.
Reel Britannia is the latest project from Jon Spira and Hank Starrs who also helmed Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman – currently streaming on BritBox UK – and Elstree 1976.
Worldwide distribution rights were acquired by Abacus Media Rights which has announced the multi-territory deal with BritBox.
Spanning 1960 through to 2010, Reel Britannia looks how cinema held a mirror up to society in each decade and explores the less-told stories from the producers, production companies and studio boardrooms which shaped our national filmic identity.
The series includes brand-new exclusive interviews from major figures such as Terry Gilliam, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, plus Hanif Kureishi and, in association with the BFI, also includes archive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from some of British cinema’s biggest hits.
Jonathan Ford, Managing Director at AMR commented: “This entertaining and informative series will thrill our international viewers who love watching movies, and give them access to an incredible line-up of films which no longer get talked about or promoted.
“It will flesh out the core of modern British cinema history and allow for a prequel series and a number of spin-offs as we move into future decades.”
Spira, who directed the series, said: “This is the dream project for me. Having become known for my indie documentaries about cinema, the next step I wanted to take was to tell a much broader story on a bigger canvas.
“AMR has given Hank and I the chance to really stretch our wings and go wild with almost 60 years of incredible British cinema history to play with.
“It covers the classic films audiences love but also really comes alive as we reveal the untold stories from behind the scenes, bring back some long-forgotten faces and expose some absolute gems which have been overlooked for decades.”
