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Banijay has taken a minority stake within the manufacturing outfit run by MOBO winner, doc presenter and social commentator Akala.
The super-indie’s funding by way of its £50M ($62M) Growth Fund will assist Akala’s Immovable Studios – which he runs with long-time enterprise companion and expertise supervisor Chanelle Newman – push additional into the premium TV area. The deal features a first look with distributor Banijay Rights.
Immovable Studios has produced a lot of Akala-fronted TV tasks together with BBC triple Poetry: Between the Lines, Akala’s Odyssey and Akala Presents: The Ruins of Empires. Upcoming is an untitled docu-series based mostly on Akala’s novel Natives, additionally for the BBC, and one other scripted collection in funded improvement.
With Banijay’s enter, Immovable mentioned it needs to develop a slate specializing in premium scripted and unscripted, because it seeks extra expertise partnerships.
Akala mentioned: “I think television is a place where some of the best art in the world is being made today, where some of our favourite modern epics have been created, and I am extremely excited to delve further into this medium to do what I love: storytelling.”
Banijay UK CEO Patrick Holland referred to as Akala “an extraordinary talent, a creative force whose books Natives and The Dark Lady have reimagined stories from our shared histories.”
Akala is among the strongest Black British voices on the market right this moment. He received Best Hip Hop Act on the Mobos in 2006 and has since been included a number of occasions on the annual Powerlist of the 100 most influential Black British individuals within the UK. He has written a lot of different books, fronted a number of docs and launched quite a few albums.
The Banijay Growth Fund launched final 12 months and has invested within the likes of James Norton and Kitty Kaletsky’s Rabbit Track, Lenny Henry’s Esmerelda Productions, and Kim Varvell and Tommy Bulfin’s Conker Pictures.
Immovable Studios is supported by advisor Hasham Khan of ABP Advisory and TV/music government, Sorraya Sequeira.
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