These are the conditions that apply to the main fund, but NOT to the Good Pitch...
The Channel 4 First-Look Option
Channel 4 is the title sponsor of the BRITDOC Foundation and as such has a 'first-look' option over everything that we fund. If you receive a grant from us, Channel 4 will have 10 weeks from delivery of your completed film to decide if they would like to show it on either Channel 4 or More4. If they decide to exercise their option, they will be granted the television rights (and limited online and VOD rights) for £1, as set out in the Channel 4 Licence Agreement and Deal Terms.
Download Channel 4's sample License Agreement here >
Download Channel 4's License Agreement Deal Terms here >
The exercise by Channel 4 of its rights in your film is subject to a holdback period of up to 2 years as explained below. If Channel 4 decide not to exercise their option on your film, the UK TV rights (and associated online and VOD rights) revert to you.
What about all the other rights?
You, the filmmaker, retain all other rights in your film: DVD, theatrical, video on demand (subject to Channel 4's limited rights) and international broadcast rights (other than UK and Eire). This means that you are free to exploit these rights and hopefully make some money on your film.
What does the 2 Year Holdback Period mean?
If Channel 4 decides to exercise their option on your film, you can request that they delay the broadcast by up to 2 years after completion. This will give you time to show your film at international festivals and exploit other distribution opportunities for your film - the Foundation team will help you with this and may provide you with an additional budget to help market and distribute your film. However, if you would rather that Channel 4 did not delay the broadcast, we can communicate this to them and the film will then be scheduled where appropriate by the Channel.
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