First Funding Appeal for Cashback (working title)

- a feature documentary film

The Tax Justice Network (TJN) is delighted to be working with a new non-profit organisation, Tipping Point Film Fund, itself a member of TJN, to help support an exciting new feature documentary film by the makers of the award-winning ‘Black Gold’.

Tipping Point Film Fund and the Tax Justice Network are excited about the potential of Cashback to bring the underlying issues concerning global economic injustices to a more mainstream and popular audience, globally, and for the TJN membership to be the first to be involved in this appeal.

Cashback will be a landmark cinematic feature-documentary thriller about illicit financial flows. It will tell the story of how money is drained out of developing countries by a network of bankers, accountants, and lawyers into secret, off-shore Western bank accounts, undermining the lives of millions of people. It is estimated that for every dollar of aid that goes in to developing countries ten dollars comes out under the table.

How does this happen? Why is no-one paying attention?

This landmark film will peel away the secrecy to reveal one of the 21st century’s biggest scandals. Cashback will act as urgent wake up call to the public on one hand, as well as being a powerful lobbying tool for organisations to use at the highest level.

Critically, the release of the film will be supported by a multimedia website and 3 – 5 year international outreach campaign. The film is ambitious as is the funding target. The combined production and campaign outreach (3-5 years) budget is £1.1m. This will be raised through a combination of film/tv industry and non-industry (eg: public) sources. The goal is to raise the production budget by the end of 2010. Production will begin in 2011 and the film will be released in mid 2012. The lifetime of the film could be anything up to 5-7 years or more.

Would you like to support this film as a donor to the project via Tipping Point Film Fund?

Support the film as a donor and join others on the Cashback journey, from development to production, release to campaign outreach . Throughout the entire process, the team / Tipping Point Film Fund, in collaboration with the Tax Justice Network secretariat will keep you regularly posted on its progress.

• As the film develops it will also have its own dedicated site where you will find material gathered as the film’s research and filming gathers pace; relevant campaign news etc.
• Before the film is released there will be special preview screenings for TJN / Cashback supporters
• And once the film is released, you then can act as an ambassador for the film; on its release, and moreover, be part of the films outreach. Your support can help make this film happen – and ensure it reaches a global audience, impacts on international media and maximises the potential of film as a tool to add leverage to those of us campaigning on the issue already – whether we are mobilising at grassroots or influencing top level decision-makers. In doing so, it can ultimately make a major contribution to reality on the ground for developing countries, struggling to find ways to fund the fight for poverty reduction.

For more information about the team behind this project, distribution and outreach plans please scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Donate

Make a one off donation today via paypal. Payment can be taken by all credit and debit cards, as well as via paypal account. Please give what you can to help make this film a reality – whether it is £50 or £500 all your donations will make it possible for this film to raise its budget.

Set up a regular donation

Online

Set up a regular payment online via paypal using your credit / debit card or paypal account.

Please note Tipping Point Film Fund is a non-profit organisation. Supported projects may address political issues, therefore the organisation is registered as a non-profit co-operative and not as a charity. This means your donations are not eligible for tax relief or gift aid.

Major donors

As a Major Donor you, or your organisation, can become one of key funders of the film. If you are considering making a major donation of £5k or more, contact us info@tippingpointfilmfund.com

More information

The Cashback team

Cashback is being developed by Speak-it Films, the company behind critically-acclaimed BLACK GOLD premiered at Sundance and was seen globally in cinemas, on television, DVD and online. The film became a major tool for advocacy groups campaigning around unfair trade. Their latest film “When China Met Africa” is a BBC / ARTE France co-production and is being released in 2010.

Tipping Point Film Fund (TPFF) are supporting Speak-it to raise funds for Cashback. TPFF is a non-profit organisation who are at the forefront of finding new ways to fund films to create social change. Tipping Point Film Fund was founded by former Christian Aid campaigns team members directly as a result of their experience and involvement with Black Gold.

Distribution and Outreach

Cashback is being positioned for a global multi-platform release in cinemas, television, DVD and online. The release of the film will be backed up by a media campaign, special screenings and events and a multi-media website which will bring together all the elements of the film and become the focal point for people to take action.

Additional to TJN, other organisations already supporting the project with development funds include Christian Aid and Norwegian Church Aid – all with a longstanding commitment to exposing the underlying structural issues that keep many developing nations poor.The issue of tax justice is central to this which is why TPFF and TJN have come together in leading the effort to raise funds.

Additional information:

• Read more about the story behind the film as it develops.
• Find out how feature documentary budgets break down.
• Learn about Tipping Point Film Fund’s commitment to projects as they develop.

.

Sign-up to receive updates about Cashback