"Our Welsh chapel dream"
Independent production finance broker and distributor Silverlining Rights has unveiled its Spring 2025 slate, packed with films and series on a diverse range of issues, spanning true crime, history, science and property. Let's take a closer look at the titles in question.
"George Floyd: The Murder that Changed the World" (1x60’, also available as a 1x90’ feature-length documentary called Backlash, Rogan Films for BBC 1, UK) tells the story of the police killing five years ago that set America on fire with rage and sparked a wave of protests around the world. Through ground-breaking interviews with the key players involved, including members of George Floyd’s family and Chief Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis Police Chief who took the bold step of testifying against one of his own officers, the documentary explores how Floyd’s murder became one of the most significant moments in modern history and asks provocative questions about whether anything has changed in the five years since he died.
Meanwhile, "Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Living" (2x60’, Rogan Productions for BBC1) is a heartwarming and thought-provoking series following the actor and Strictly Come Dancing winner as she embarks on an incredible experiment to transform lives by teaching a group of retirees British Sign Language. But with students aged from 65 to 95, will she be able to teach these old hands some new tricks?
Also, "Murder in the Skies: Who Drowned MH17?" (3x60’, Passion Pictures for National Geographic Channels International). When Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crashes in Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, the circumstances are shrouded in mystery. Western governments are left scrambling for details while one civilian is leading the hunt for answers – dad of two and amateur blogger Eliot Higgins. Combining the geopolitical stakes of Navalny and Lockerbie with the pulsating internet sleuthing of Don’t F**k With Cats, this gripping documentary series follows the unexpected heroes who risked their lives to fight for justice.
Moreover, "Our Welsh Chapel Dream" (4x60’, Love Productions for Channel 4, UK) follows one intrepid couple – Keith Brymer Jones and Marj Hogarth – who have bought a large derelict chapel in picturesque North Wales as they turn the 19th-century Grade II listed building into a home, a working pottery studio, and an event space at the heart of the local community.
Furthermore, "Platoon" (4x60’, Frank Films and GroupM Motion Entertainment for Channel 5, UK) is an all-encompassing behind-the-scenes look at the journey a ‘band of brothers’ goes on when joining the British Infantry as new recruits. With access to The Rifles – the Army’s largest Infantry regiment – the series embeds a small crew within a single platoon to tell a soldiering story at eye level, from formation to war-fighting and lethal Armoured Infantry Platoon.
In addition, "Europe’s Most Scandalous Prison" (1x60’, Good TV for Channel 5, UK) investigates one of Europe’s most troubled jails. Built in 1851, HMP Wandsworth is London’s oldest prison and one of the most overcrowded, vermin-infested jails ever. Footage from inside the jail illustrates why it has become notorious for prison escapes, public sex between guards and inmates, and one of the most damning inspection reports in recent prison history.
As well, "The Skinny Jab Scandal" (1x60’, Britespark Films for Channel 4, UK) investigates Britain’s obsession with skinny jabs and asks whether profits are being prioritized over patient safety. Undercover filming exposes the drugs being sold by a major high street chain to an underage patient and reveals registered NHS nurses prescribing the jabs without proper checks on patients.
"Hurricanes from Above" (1x60’, Good TV for Channel 5, UK) uses exciting new imagery from above, dramatic archive footage, and user-generated material of some of the worst hurricanes caught on camera, to examine the most violent and deadly storms on Earth and hear the stories from those who survived them.
Finally, "Hunting the Online Sex Predators" (1x60’, Strident for BBC1 and iPlayer, UK). Following the success of his investigation in Hunting the Catfish Crime Gang, James Blake goes on the frontline with a special global taskforce in the Philippines during a series of raids aimed at smashing this horrific abuse. But as James discovers, the perpetrators and funders are often back in the UK.
Bethan Corney, founder and MD of Silverlining Rights, showed great enthusiasm for the spring slate: ‘We like to do things slightly differently at Silverlining, and holding our own bespoke content market twice a year, outside of MIPTV/MIPCOM, has proved highly successful in launching shows to our international buyers. I’m thrilled to be unveiling our spring slate of high-quality documentaries and popular factual programming from our very talented producer partners," commented.
Silverlining Rights distributes a catalog of more than 2,000 hours of content from many of the UK’s best producers, including: Emporium, Rogan, Passion Pictures, Storyboard, Strident, Good TV, Frank Films, Angel Eye, Bright Branch, Yeti, Blink Films, Mothership, Content Kings, and Ten 66. In addition, Silverlining generates its own content in partnership with producers and international broadcasters.