Industry

Two Rivers Media has announced a co-production deal with Ross Wilson’s new factual venture RW Productions (RWP). As well as creating a strategic co-production partnership, the deal sees RWP benefit from Two Rivers’ corporate infrastructure.

Former Creative Director of Matchlight, Ross Wilson is one of Scotland’s foremost factual producer/directors, known for presenter-led pieces, access-based observational documentaries and investigative journalism. His huge portfolio of high-profile work includes, as Producer/Director, the Emmy Award-winning Stephen Fry: Secret Life of the Manic Depressive and Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery (both BBC Two). As Creative Director at Matchlight, he also exec produced a wide range of productions including: Lenny Henry: Finding Shakespeare (for ITV1); Sold (for BBC2); and the series Darcy Bussell: Looking For… (for BBC One and BBC Two). More recently, he exec produced Being Beethoven (for BBC Four); the 2019 Scottish-BAFTA award-winning Real Kashmir (for BBC Scotland); and the about-to-be-transmitted The Billion Dollar Art Heist (for BBC Two). Wilson’s new venture will focus on specialist factual and documentary programming, with ambitions to push into theatrical and feature documentaries.

Alan Clements, Managing Director, Two Rivers, says: “Ross is one of the UK’s best factual exec producers. His films are intelligent and thought-provoking and, as well as being highly acclaimed in the UK, they have garnered huge sales worldwide. We have worked together many times since Wark Clements’ days and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Ross again. He has a fantastic slate of projects which both complement and enhance the Two Rivers’ documentary offering, led by our Head of Factual, Mick McAvoy. Bringing his new venture under the Two Rivers’ umbrella is a huge opportunity for both companies and it strengthens further our position as the go-to company in Scotland for specialist factual and documentary films.”

As part of the deal, all RWP’s films will be made in co-production with Two Rivers. RWP will work with Two Rivers’ development team and also benefit from the company’s finance and legal resources.

Ross Wilson, Creative Director, Ross Wilson Productions, says: “Two Rivers has quickly become one of the most creative production companies in Scotland, so I’m delighted to be signing this strategic deal. Collaboration is key if we are all to succeed in a post-Covid world. RWP is keen to be as outward-facing as we can at this moment, both to grow our contacts and our market. This deal not only strengthens both our businesses, but gives us that increased access. Two Rivers has particularly strong international connections, which are of huge benefit to RWP. It will allow us to significantly increase our area of attack and accelerate our growth.”