Tortoise in Love gets £30,000 rural release boost from BFI

UK crowd-funded comedy Tortoise in Love will hit more than 40 rural, non-traditional venues as part of its first run thanks to £29,915 BFI P&A funding.

The venues will benefit from posters, publicity packs and Q&A screenings from July 13, as well as a national and regional PR and digital campaign. The film will concurrently open in a number of multiplexes across the UK with Immense Productions handling distribution.

The low budget comedy about a gardener who falls for a Polish au-pair was set in Oxfordshire village Kingston Bagpuize and was funded through a share scheme in which 100 ‘mini mogul’ investors – many from the village – bought shares for as little as £20, whilst 20 ‘maxi moguls’ who invested £500 or more benefited from EIS tax breaks.

Culture minister Ed Vaizey has a cameo in the feature, whose production was assisted by around 400 of the villagers who put up actors and crew and the Women’s Institute which provided catering. Guy Browing directs, sales are handled by 7&7 Producers’ Sales.

Producer Steffan Aquarone said: “I’m delighted that the humble story of Tortoise in Love has captured the imagination of so many people. The village that made the film is a feel-good story for a feel-good film and I’m so pleased that we’re continuing to do things differently, right through to distribution and beyond.”