Creativity Capital Founders Launch UK-Based Co-Production Outfit Big Safari; Nick Frost & Aisling Bea Thriller ‘Svalta’ Among First Projects
EXCLUSIVE: UK industry veterans Richard Kondal and Patrick Fischer, founders of financier Creativity Capital, have formed a new co-production company dubbed Big Safari.
The banner marks the latest edition to the duo’s portfolio, which also includes shareholdings in sales agent Architect, VFX house Koala FX as well as Creativity Capital.
Big Safari was born off the back of the Simon West-directed 2022 television series Boundless, which Kondal and Fischer produced while at Fulwell 73 with Mono Films and Amazon. The strategy for the new outfit, said the duo, is to set up co-productions that help close finance for international producers, whether through accessing soft money in European co-productions as they did for Svalta or finding a cost-effective co-producer further afield like they did with UK-Philippines co-production The Bayou. It will also look to help European films access UK talent and locations.
Since its launch last year, Big Safari has already gone into production with three projects: Nick Frost and Lena Headey thriller Svalta; Rosalind Halstead and Poppy Delevigne psychic thriller Stargazer; and survival thriller The Bayou.
Svalta, which is directed by Steffan Haars, is currently in post, having shot in Finland in 2023. Wayward Entertainment, Resolute Films, Film Service Finland, XYZ Films and Frost produce with Big Safari co-producing.
Stargazer is directed by Christian Neuman and produced by Luxembourg-based Deal Productions in co-production with Caviar and Big Safari while Taneli Mustonen’s The Bayou, starring Athena Strates and Andonis Anthony, is produced by Tea Shop Productions, Cowboy Cosmonaut Films and co-produced with Big Safari and Epicmedia Productions.
“We tailor our services to each project,” said Big Safari MD Kondal. “For instance, U.S. producers can come to us to structure European co-productions and access European and UK soft money. Setting this up from the UK ensures a safe home for their IP and we help to find the right shooting locations, co-producers and incentives for their budget and finance plans. We see co-production as a powerful tool of cooperation and believe success is best when shared.”
Fischer adds: “With a deep understanding of finance and sales embedded in Big Safari, we are very much a partner to producers to help greenlight their films and series. We provide producers with the co-production know-how from where and who to work with, which all stems from our experience having produced and executive produced more than 85 projects from arthouse to horror, film to series and everything in between.”