Factual

Abacus Media Rights (AMR), an Amcomri Entertainment Company, has acquired global sales rights, excluding the UK, to brand new arts documentary Decoding Turner.

Commissioned for Sky Arts by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, the 1 x 90’ film is due to air in June and it will reveal the hidden codes within many of one of the most beloved artist’s bodies of work. 

JMW Turner’s paintings are world famous, but what if they’re not what they seem? This new one-off film will change the way we interpret some of Turner’s most familiar works as two plucky enthusiasts, joined by art historians and academics, reveal the startling hidden codes they believe are woven into his paintings.  The viewers will follow their Da Vinci Code-esque quest as they delve into the unseen images which have been staring out from their frames for centuries. 

Decoding Turner is directed by Sonia Anderson, who is already behind many fascinating documentaries, such as Elon Musk: The Real Life Iron Man, Diana: The Princess Who Changed The Royals, Bowie: The Man Who Changed The World, and Battle of Dunkirk: From Disaster to Triumph.  

This unique documentary is executive produced by veteran award-winning TV industry executives Terry Shand and Geoff Kempin, from Castle Entertainment, who have between them generated 1000s of hours of television and film content across four decades, including over 700 documentary titles covering military history, travel, culture, factual historical, music and the arts. The ex-Eagle Rock Chief Executives have produced many titles in association with broadcast partners across both sides of the Atlantic, including Sky, Discovery, PBS, BBC and ITV, and most recently they greenlit the Sky/PBS co-production Icons: Music through the Lens, and received an Emmy Award for PBS co-production Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool. 

“We’re really excited by this opportunity to create an engaging film which will take a deep dive into some of the most accessible and well-known paintings that we believe we know well – but do we?” said Shand and Kempin.

Jonathan Ford, Managing Director at AMR adds, “This is a unique and novel way of looking at and learning more about an artist’s work.  Along with stunning seascapes and glorious landscapes, JMW Turner was inspired by the changing face of Britain and Europe during an age that saw the dawn of the industrial revolution.  He remains a global phenomenon and we expect this film to appeal to audiences of all ages around the world who will be intrigued to discover even more about his paintings and their secret contents.”