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Wednesday, April 24, 2024
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Young Entrepreneur Overcomes Mental Health Disability and Achieves Investment and Award from Sir Stelios, Founder of EasyJet

Leonard Cheshire, in collaboration with the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, is thrilled to announce the winners of The Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2023. This prestigious event celebrated the extraordinary achievements of disabled individuals in the world of entrepreneurship. The awards aim to foster innovation among disabled entrepreneurs, empowering them to overcome obstacles and establish thriving businesses.
Among the distinguished winners is Jon Hill, a remarkable 21-year-old university student from Glasgow, who secured a major investment. Despite facing numerous challenges due to his disability, Jon’s company, JACK RYAN, has become one of the six gold standard agencies in the UK, garnering valuable partnerships with industry giants like Google and Meta. In the past year alone, JACK RYAN has achieved an astounding five-fold growth and is targeting £60 million in government contracts.
 
Jon’s entrepreneurial journey began during his time at university when he faced the daunting diagnosis of Bipolar disorder, fearing that he would be left behind. Determined to defy the odds, he established JACK RYAN, a business that not only defied expectations but also created a positive impact on society. Today, the company boasts offices in Glasgow’s vibrant west end and employs nine talented individuals across Glasgow and London.
The recognition and investment received by Jon Hill serve as a testament to his exceptional vision, resilience, and dedication to his craft. His story stands as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those facing disabilities, proving that with determination and perseverance, anything is possible.
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the esteemed founder of EasyJet and patron of The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, expressed his admiration for Jon’s achievements. Sir Stelios has branded 21-year-old Jon Hill as a ‘Marketing Genius’ at the awards ceremony held in London on 18th May 2023.

JACK RYAN is one of the UK’s fastest growing full service agencies with teams across Glasgow and London. The company sees itself as a partner for brands and works to unlock greater performance through a reinvention of media planning, buying and activation. You can find out more about JACK RYAN at https://WeAreJACKRYAN.com

About Leonard Cheshire:
Leonard Cheshire is an international charity working to support disabled individuals to live, learn, and work as independently as they choose. With over 70 years of experience, Leonard Cheshire strives to create a society where every person with a disability can achieve their full potential.
About the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation:
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist. The foundation supports a wide range of initiatives and projects aimed at making a positive difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

About JACK RYAN

Award winning full service agency based in Glasgow. To be at the forefront of tomorrow’s business landscape, you require a partner that not only comprehends your vision but also dares to defy the status quo, enabling your business to evolve and adapt swiftly.
Our people boast over a century of collective media innovation experience spanning numerous sectors. Our journey with clients ranges from strategy development to comprehensive media reinvention. We take pride in facilitating transformational shifts that are durable, quantifiable, and in harmony with our clients’ strategic goals.
Our methodology is distinctive, merging a knowledge of the latest media technologies with a client-first mindset. We join forces with clients as a partner to comprehend their unique difficulties and co-develop answers. This collaborative approach ultimately yields heightened performance, expedited growth, and genuine additional value.
We are guided by insights, energised by technology, and inspired by individuals.
Let’s shape the future, side by side.

Wealth of Geeks Helps Film Lovers Size Up Spring Cinema

Wealth of Geeks, an information hub for financial, tech and lifestyle guides and reviews, is giving film lovers the lowdown on the newest releases in theatres this spring. Their recent article by Richard Chachowski highlights the most anticipated films of the season along with current showings leaving theatres soon and popular re-releases to look out for.  

 

The article serves as a user-friendly manual, offering a succinct overview of each movie, accompanied by a brief evaluation and insights into its critical reception. Additionally, it includes Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb ratings, allowing readers to make well-informed choices and schedule their upcoming cinema outings.

 

If there’s a theme that dominates their list of new releases, it’s action. First on their list is Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the latest offering from DCEU starring Zachary Levi and Asher Angel. Fans of Marvel can then get a rundown of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly.  

 

The article also features 65, a new sci-fi film starring Adam Driver and Ariana Greenblatt that Chachowski calls “equal parts Planet of the Apes as it is Jurassic Park” and states that the film “punctuates its exciting action with some added horror elements.” Scream VI, the new release from the Scream franchise, is also featured in the article and offers spring theatre-goers another horror-action option. 

 

Other films included in the new release section of the Wealth of Geeks article include the comedy-horror Cocaine Bear, the new dramatic comedy Moving On starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda along with two sports films, Creed III and Champions. The psychosocial thriller Inside starring William Dafoe also made the list. 

 

Subsequently, the article alerts readers about movies that are expected to depart from theatres shortly. This roster encompasses a diverse array of film genres, spanning from action-comedy to horror to biographical drama.

 

First on their list of notable movies is Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, the latest action comedy from Guy Ritchie starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett and Hugh Grant. Magic Mike’s Last Dance starring Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek is also featured along with Jesus Revolution starring Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie, both films drawing lukewarm reviews from critics. 

 

Other notable films on the list include M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin, a mystery-horror that Chachowski calls “one of Shyamalan’s better films in the grand scheme of his career.” Also featured is the sports comedy 80 for Brady starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Rita Moreno, and the British biographical drama Emily, which offers a portrait of writer Emily Bronte. 

 

Check out the full article on Wealth of Geeks to see which films are heating up in theatres and which ones are soon making their departure. 

 

Skint Film Company’s £7k Movie Among Best New Films to Stream in 2023: A Rags to Riches Success Story

The bootstrapped UK film studios’ £7,000 production, Lottery, is now available to over 80 million streaming users worldwide on Plex and Tubi. It’s four-out-of-five UK Film Review accolade makes it one of the most successful new films to stream in the UK this year. Success has put the Skint Film Company on the map as a fully self-sufficient UK independent movie studio, with a second feature film, Talking to Ghosts, lined up for release in summer 2023.
Described as “Beautiful and dramatic” by the UK Film Review, Lottery is the brainchild of one of the most exciting upcoming British filmmakers, Ryan J. Smith, a previous festival darling and now maverick producer. Financed solely by Smith himself and produced on a bootstrap budget of just £7,000, the film has landed on Plex and Tubi, where it is available to upwards of 80 million streamers worldwide, with more platforms and even more exposure to follow soon.
Following the success of Lottery, the Skint Film Company will be releasing its second full-length feature film, Talking to Ghosts, this summer. Further feature releases are also in the pipeline for 2024 and beyond.
Its efforts in bringing compelling drama to the streaming space on a shoestring budget are disrupting the prevailing movie paradigm that big bucks funding is needed to create and shoot high-quality films. The Skint Film Company is now firmly on the map as one of the UK’s fully-armed and operational independent movie studios to watch for the future.
Commenting on the success of the Skint Film Company so far, founder, producer and director Smith says, “I’m excited to have a full slate of feature film projects with international releases for this year and beyond.  I’m proud to say they’re all homegrown and made precisely how I wanted to make them.”
“Hopefully my movies send a message to young and emerging filmmakers that you don’t have to wait to be rescued. Never fall prey to other people’s laziness. If you have a movie to make, make it. It’s as simple as that. The rest falls into place naturally.”
A tense thriller, Lottery tells the story of a young man navigating love and loss in the aftermath of a lottery win. Pro Moviemaker magazine hails the movie as being “every bit as atmospheric as a film with an army of technicians.”
Alongside glowing reviews, leading man Mitchell Fisher, who plays lottery-winner Lee, has been awarded the Best Actor gong at the Maverick Film Awards for his interpretation of the role.
Lottery is available to stream for free in the UK on Plex now.
The Skint Film Company is MetFilm School graduate, Ryan J. Smith’s, rags-to-riches foray into the feature film space. One of the UK film production companies shaking up the streaming scene, Lancashire-born Smith has built Skint from nothing into a successful, self-sufficient studio turning out feature films, shorts, animated movies, and documentaries.
Its back catalogue includes the critically-acclaimed foray into the Amsterdam jazz scene, “Red Light Solo”, which won five Best Documentary Features awards, including an accolade from the London Film Awards in 2019.
Talking to Ghosts, will be released in the summer of 2023. For more information visit https://www.skintfilmcompany.com/.

Change Embraced by The Abundance Film With New Name and Website

Bristol-based documentary production company, The Abundance Film, has recently altered their name and launched a new website. Now called See Through Stories, the group were formerly focused on making a single high-impact feature documentary for a private client. Now they’re actively looking to secure new commissions for producing purpose-led documentaries or TV series. Furthermore, they’ve rethought and evolved their mission, actively working toward environmental and social change through sustainable filmmaking.
See Through Stories produces high-end, specialist-factual feature documentaries and TV series in response to the current ecological crises. It’s their intention to bring a fresh, forward-thinking mindset to the making of films and digital content that explores human relationships with the rest of the natural world. Through their projects, they seek to ignite conversations about key environmental and social issues. Their mission is to inspire change through purpose-led storytelling.
The small team at See Through Stories has valuable industry expertise under their belt. Company Director Jon Clay brings over 25 years of experience in the natural history and environmental filmmaking sector. He’s made award-winning films for international audiences, worked on the BBC documentary TV series South Pacific, Tribe and Wonders of the Monsoon, and produced and directed the Netflix feature documentary Breaking Boundaries. He also produced David Attenborough’s speech to world leaders at COP26 in 2021. Producer Ana Taboada got her start in environmental filmmaking working alongside Jon on Breaking Boundaries and The Earthshot Prize. She went on to produce and direct The Peak. The team also includes a specialist impact researcher, reflecting the importance they place on  drafting impact strategies right at the start of a project’s development.
The team at See Through Stories recognise that there is a shift taking place in audiences’ appetite for impact-driven films and they’re taking big strides to deliver this type of content. Leaning into a theory of change, they have their sights set on two initiatives: they’re working to create films that empower audiences to question the status quo by calling out corrupting stories and assumptions; and they’re also shining a light on healthier perspectives that can inspire audiences to imagine better futures.
“Big attention-grabbing films and series have the potential to create ‘cultural moments’ that ignite national and global conversations about issues that really matter, and open up the space for a plethora of additional content and ideas.” – Jon Clay, Director
Shifting the cultural perspective of natural history is also an important focus for See Through Stories. They invite collaborations with a wide range of cultures, including marginalised and Indigenous communities  In doing so, they seek to freshen the genre and broaden the Western lens of how natural history is viewed on screen.
Bringing Sustainable Filmmaking Into Focus 
Reducing their carbon footprint and normalising environmentally responsible filmmaking is a priority for the Bristol-based production company. Through their sustainable practices, they’re imagining a better future for the film industry. Not only do they work to adopt sustainable and equitable practices, but they also make it a point to share what they’re doing with other filmmakers.
Their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. The environmental organisation, Albert, published a case study about See Through Stories’ first film, Abundance: The Story of Us. Albert helps the TV and film production industry reduce its carbon footprint through the use of their bespoke carbon calculator and other online tools. Their two-part case study examines the green working standards See Through Stories is bringing to the film industry.
Taking their impact-driven philosophy a step further, See Through Stories are changing their articles of association and are now committed to putting profits into new films for social good instead of paying dividends to shareholders. They’re also focused on working with private philanthropists eager to fund high-impact projects that influence change.
Finally, See Through Stories stays committed to promoting a sustainable work culture. They dedicate Fridays to well-being and encourage their staff to get away from their screens and spend time outside. The team also has access to free mental healthcare services.
“Our weekly well-being days aren’t just an extended weekend, they’re essential time away from our screens – ideally spending time in nature – that makes space for creativity and clarity of thought, ensuring our work remains meaningful and fulfilling.” – Jon Clay, Director
Through its entertaining and impactful documentaries, See Through Stories is quickly establishing itself as a production company intent on inspiring change. And by staying at the forefront of sustainable film-making and purpose-led storytelling, they’re being the change their films inspire.