Film Finance

“I would travel down to hell and wrestle a film away from the devil if it was necessary.”
– Werner Herzog

What is Film Finance?

Film Production Finance is a tailored funding solution designed exclusively for the film industry, catering to the production of series for renowned platforms like Netflix, Viacom, Amazon Prime, DSTV, MNET, SABC, and more.

Film and movie production companies often grapple with diverse financing needs, from project mobilization, paying actors and consultants, to acquiring specialized equipment and ensuring robust working capital support. Recognizing these unique requirements, we offer a comprehensive Film Investment strategy that encompasses Bridging Finance, Working Capital Finance, and Specialised Asset Finance. Our Film Production Loans and Funding Facilities are typically structured as Revolving Finance Facilities, ensuring continuous support for film and series production.

The intricacies of film and series production bring forth challenges that can strain cash flow. These might include insufficient working capital to initiate a project, pay actors and consultants, capital expenditure for specialized equipment, or payment delays after signing distribution agreements.

When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them, ‘no, I went to films’. – Quentin Tarantino

Understanding that every film or series venture is distinct, we delve deep into the entrepreneur’s vision. Our Film Funding decisions are rooted in the specific business context and the project’s nature. Usually, the funding from family & friends or the grants/incentives from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF film funding) or the DTI Film Incentive are insufficient. That is why we are committed to bolstering South African based film production businesses, ensuring they have the necessary Movie Financing and Film Venture Capital to bring their visions to life.

Our Structured Finance options …

Working Capital Finance

Bridging Finance

Specialised Asset Finance

Why get Film Finance from Spartan?

  • Spartan’s Film Finance is an alternative funding solution specifically suited for the film and series production industry

  • we’re open to discuss joint venture options

  • we have over 40 years of experience financing South African SMEs across many industries and needs

  • financing amounts from R1 million and upwards [with revolving credit for even greater requirements]

Who would use our film/series finance:

  • any film production company creating series under contract for local or international distribution

  • production companies requiring Working Capital Finance, Bridging Finance or Specialised Asset Finance

  • seeking an alternative funder to traditional financiers

How does Film Finance work?

Timelines

Move swiftly from Application-to-Payout

These are the steps/stages that drive our overall timeline:

  • Application Stage: we actively reach out to you, and request all required documents. Once received you move on to the next stage
  • Assessment Stage: a Credit Analyst meticulously assesses your application
  • Interview Stage: our Credit Committee interviews you
  • Implementation Stage: signing contracts & fulfilling approval conditions. You sign, we action
  • Pay-Out Stage: shortly after the Implementation Stage is completed

We work together to make this process as fast as possible.

Assessment

Credit Analyst engages & asseses > the Credit Committee interviews you

Once we have your application and all supporting docs a Credit Analyst reviews this and will either ask for additional docs (when required) or will arrange for a Credit Interview where you meet directly with our Credit Committee. It’s here that rubber really meets the road.

We don’t ask for business plans as we believe that by making the effort and time to understand you and your business we are in a better position to make a credit decision. In this interview we really get to understand how your business works, its strengths, challenges and if our finance can help it grow.

Pay-Out

After Term Sheet; Agreements; Conditions met

Based on a signed & completed term sheet and our compliance team having checked that all the paperwork is good-to-go… we expedite the pay-out process.

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