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The ongoing saga to find financial backing for the Toilers of the Sea adaptation continues, as the producers wait to hear if they have succeeded with a fresh appeal for States' support to make the film in Guernsey.
Dave Shanks and Joy Mellins are "optimistic" after meeting members of the Committee for Economic Development to present their case for financial backing.
Express digs further into the story to better understand what could happen next...
Express spoke to the film's producers, who are eagerly waiting for an update from the Committee for Economic Development.
"We have several serious investors that are willing to come on board but wanted the States to take the lead. We therefore requested they consider investing anything between £500,000 and £2million [and] we guaranteed the latter sum would be spent in Guernsey," said Mr Shanks and Ms Mellins.
"We obviously remain optimistic as our belief remains in the Bailiwick being the film’s natural home and almost the lead character."
The meeting between the producers and the Committee took place on Wednesday (8 June).
"The Committee were very charming, interested in hearing our present situation and asked lots of valid questions, primarily related to finance and how much we would be spending in Guernsey," said the producers.
"The hour-long meeting went quite quickly and it ended in that they meet again in two weeks when a decision will be made.
"We believe they see the benefits to Guernsey and the Bailiwick and on a personal level they would like to see it made on island. However, they are naturally cautious when spending taxpayers' money, which we totally understand."
Express invited the Committee to comment but the Committee declined while it is reconsidering its position on the request for funding.
Pictured: French writer Victor Hugo wrote Les Travailleurs de la Mer (Toilers of the Sea) in 1866. The book is dedicated to Guernsey, where he spent 15 years in exile.
Toilers of the Sea is a story about a young fisherman, Gilliatt, a loner and social outcast, who tries to retrieve the engine of a wrecked ship as part of efforts to marry the ship owner's niece, Deruchette.
Turning the story into a film is expected to cost around £10m. The producers hope to secure States' backing for up to 20% of that figure, which they say would help unlock investment from private sources for the remaining 80% or more.
In addition to financial benefits for the island, the producers have said they would be happy to provide Castle Cornet (pictured top) with props from the film set to go towards a post-production exhibition to capitalise on the anticipated commercial and artistic interest in the film.
Mr Shanks was born and raised in Guernsey. His sister still lives locally. His father, Ernest Shanks, was Deputy Bailiff. While in the island to meet the Committee, Mr Shanks and Ms Mellins made a public presentation of their plans for the film.
Pictured: The producers of Toilers of the Sea have said that the Bailiwick is "the natural home" of the film "and we want to honour that".
The meeting last week followed several requests by the producers to present their case to the Committee.
On 25 May, Deputy Neil Inder, the President of the Committee, was facing questions in the States' Assembly about his Committee's refusal to commit public money to make the film in Guernsey when he said: "Until the Committee has had a formal request for a meeting, we really are shouting in the air here at the moment."
After hearing Deputy Inder's words in the States, the film's producers told Express they were "incredibly surprised". And Mr Shanks said: "We find it very hard to reconcile what Deputy Inder said with the facts as we know them."
The following day - 26 May - the Committee acknowledged that Deputy Inder received an e mail on 15 May in which the producers of the film asked to meet him in person.
The Committee claimed that the request for a meeting "was buried at the end of a long email on the same subject". Express saw the e mail. It contained 478 words and the request to meet was highlighted in bold type.
Express also saw another e mail, dated 5 May, in which the producers asked Deputy Inder to meet them. That e mail contained 289 words and included two requests for a meeting, both of which were highlighted in bold type.
Pictured: The Committee for Economic Development, which is currently reconsidering its position on whether to back the filming of Toilers of the Sea in Guernsey. Clockwise from top left: Deputy Neil Inder, President; Deputy Steve Falla; Deputy Simon Vermeulen, Vice President; Deputy Nick Moakes; and Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller.
In their email to Deputy Inder on 15 May, the producers said they were seeking the support of the States in the form of "a letter of commitment of anything between £500,000 to £2million where the money will only be called upon once we have letters of commitment from other individual investors totalling £8million".
"As an investor in the film, the States would be in shared first position recoupment for all monies received from its international distribution," they said.
The Committee's position on funding the film was first set out in a letter to the producers of the film 15 months ago and reiterated since.
In February 2021, the Committee told the producers: "As you are aware, the previous Committee provided £25,000 in development funding. Unfortunately, the Committee does not have access to significant amounts of uncommitted funds and, given the inevitable risk attached to a project of this nature, does not feel it would be appropriate to invest taxpayers' funds in this way. The Committee's view is that you will need to seek investment finance from private individuals or corporates."
Film producers finally get meeting with Economic Development
“We find it very difficult to reconcile what Dep Inder said with the facts"
Deputy finds emails showing film producers did ask to meet him
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