Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund Invests in True Vision Yorkshire

Channel 4 has taken a minority investment in Leeds.-based factual indie True Vision Yorkshire, with the backing coming from the network’s Indie Growth Fund.

This is the second local investment for Channel 4, which is headquartered in Leeds, with the first going to True North, which subsequently sold to Sky in 2017. True Vision Yorkshire was founded by Anna Hall in 2014, alongside Brian Woods and Jezza Neumann from True Vision. The company is behind such documentaries as Behind Closed Doors for the BBC and The Truth About Muslim Marriage for Channel 4.

The company’s founders have focused on new talent, with the seven out of eight directors who have delivered films in the last 18 months being first-time female filmmakers. Hall, director of BAFTA-nominated documentaries including The Hunt for Britain’s Sex Gangs and Catching a Killer, will continue to create more crime series with the company. True Vision Yorkshire will focus on producing documentary singles, as well as returning factual formats.

The Indie Growth Fund was launched in 2014 to provide additional support to the U.K. independent creative sector by providing access to funding for indies based in the region. It has made 15 investments to date and has 11 companies in its portfolio, including Barcroft Media Group, Eleven Film and Firecrest Films.

Channel 4 Director of Commercial Affairs Martin Baker, who oversees the Indie Growth Fund, said: “This deal reinforces Channel 4’s commitment to driving growth in the creative industries outside London. As we prepare to set up our new HQ in Leeds, there could not be a better time to invest in a growing Leeds-based Indie.”

Caroline Murphy, head of the Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund, said: “I am delighted to see this deal being done just as I join the Indie Growth Fund. It shows that Channel 4 really is delivering on its commitment to nations and regions indies.”

Hall added: “My passion has always been to make hard-hitting films which can genuinely make a difference to people’s lives—and my other passion has been to create a sustainable base in my home city of Leeds to mentor other directors and filmmakers to do the same! I am thrilled that Channel 4 has seen the potential in our team, and we are incredibly excited about developing our slate in the next few years.”