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Reel Soul Movies

A Pact Future 30 & MIP TV Producer to Watch

We harness the power of storytelling to create world class narratives for a global audience that shines a light on the key themes of our time.
Scripted | Unscripted | Series | Singles
Film | TV | Audio | Digital | Performance

SCOTLAND

OCEAN NATION

3 x ’60 Premium Unscripted Adventure/Natural History with female adventurer & vet, Cal Major who takes us on an extraordinary, visually stunning 800-mile journey around Scotland by stand-up paddleboard, the world’s fastest-growing watersport, to explore our human connection to the ocean and the vital role it plays in all our lives, and in the climate and biodiversity crises.
Featuring incredible wildlife, breath-taking hidden under-water worlds, unexpected drama, lush visuals and epic adventure. Shot on, under & above the ocean.

Coming soon

TRICKSTER

Ballet Soul Trickster

A ground-breaking live performance and ‘as live’ stream that combines ballet and contemporary dance movement to create an extraordinary immersive performance that promises to captivate audiences in Kenya and the UK. Created by Ballet Soul’s Artistic Director, Ben Love, TRICKSTER brings together Ballet Soul, Kenya Cultural Centre, Kenya International Theatre Festival, Unlock Arts and Reel Soul Movies, in a unique partnership.

TRICKSTER will have its premiere as part of the prestigious Kenya International Theatre Festival, November 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, followed by its UK premiere and ‘As Live’ stream in June/July 2025 at one of the renowned London performance venues. We are positioning this thrilling collaboration as part of the British Council’s UK/Kenya Season.

We are looking for sponsors to be involved in this vibrant project, get in touch with us to be part of this opportunity and associate your brand with the power of dance and digital. To find out details of Trickster sponsorship opportunities connect with us today.

BECOME A SPONSOR

Trickster contributors

Scotland: Ocean Nation

Shortlisted for the Maritime Media Awards ’24

Scotland Ocean Nation TX Card

3 x ’60 STV Player
( Released Sunday 26th March ’23 )

Unscripted Adventure/Natural History with female adventurer & vet, Cal Major who takes us on an extraordinary, visually stunning 800-mile journey around Scotland by stand-up paddleboard.
https://player.stv.tv/summary/reelsoul-scotland-ocean-nation/

The Emperor and the Pianola

Emperor & the Pianola

1 x ’28 BBC Radio 3
A Between the Ears – (TX Sunday 20 March ’22 at 18.45)

In this captivating Between the Ears, Professor Shawn Sobers uncovers the fascinating story of Emperor Haile Selassie I and his pianola as told through the music of the time.
Read more…

No Destination

The epic journey of two young men with nothing to lose but the world itself.
Satish’s remarkable story of walking as a pilgrim across war zones, deserts, mountains and national borders, armed only with a message of peace, will be brought to the screen by Reel Soul Movies, in association with The British Film Institute, Illuminations Films and with the support of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine in the ‘No Destination’ feature film.
Read more…

No Destination image montage

The Empire Strikes Black

Hugh Muir & Sir Simon Woolley

1 x 28 mins, Cast Iron Radio for BBC Radio 4.
Written & presented by Hugh Muir, produced by Shelley Williams of Reel Soul Movies and featuring Sir Simon Woolley CBE, director of Operation Black Vote.

Listen to the show on BBC Sounds below:

BBC Sounds Icon © BBC corp. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00075jx

The Empire Strikes Black chosen for Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Week’

The Empire Strikes Black written & presented by journalist Hugh Muir has been chosen by Katie Puckrik for BBC Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Week’ on Sunday 4th August 2019.

Katie Puckrick

Go to the Pick of the Week episode on BBC Sounds below:

BBC Sounds Icon © BBC corp. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0007b54

The Nature of Creativity

A 44 mins Sunday Feature for BBC Radio 3

Written & presented by Mary Colwell

image credit: ATMstreetart

In The Nature of Creativity, writer, producer & top environmentalist Mary Colwell explores the relationship between nature and creativity, and asks, as we lose the abundance of the natural world, are we also losing our ability to express ourselves?

The programme will be available to listen to after transmission on the BBC iPlayer:

BBC iPlayer Icon © BBC corp.https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000d5m

New film by writer, producer and top environmentalist

Following in the footsteps of David Attenborough, comes producer and writer, Mary Colwell’s new film The Story of Britain’s Curlews, a look at the plight of Britain’s curlews as they fight to survive during the winter. With gorgeous cinematography, narration and original music by David Gray and sound recordings by Chris Watson.

Hacking Happiness chosen for Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Week’

Hacking Happiness the Reel Soul Movies new 5 x 14 mins series written & presented by Leo Johnson has been chosen by Adrian Chiles for BBC Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Week’ on Sunday 22nd July 2018.

Presenter and broadcaster Adrian Chiles' hosts Pick of the Week.

Listen to the Pick of the Week episode on BBC iPlayer below:

BBC iPlayer Icon © BBC corp.https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bbn6mt

Hacking Happiness

5 x 14 mins series for BBC Radio 4

Written & presented by Leo Johnson

Listen to all the episodes on BBC iPlayer now:

BBC iPlayer Icon © BBC corp.https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bb83fz

Are we pursuing happiness, or is the happiness industry pursuing us? Leo Johnson goes on a year-long journey to explore radical philosophies of happiness.

Carl Cederstrom & Andre Spicer perform idleness

Episode 1: The Perfect Life

(Monday 16th July at 13.45)

Is hedonism getting hacked? And if it is, how do we hack our happiness back?

Poet Clare Shaw

Episode 2: Self-Harm Nation

(Tuesday 17th July at 13.45)

Exploring radical alternatives to hedonism. What if happiness isn’t about pleasure at all?

Ruqsana Begum

Episode 3: Fight Club of the Soul

(Wednesday 18th July at 13.45)

Forget the moral chatter of the Stoics, is what matters denting the universe, unleashing the biggest you?

Plumb Village

Episode 4: Existential Cool – Buddhism and the art of acceptance

(Thursday 19th July at 13.45)

Does true happiness come not from self-actualisation but from the opposite, dissolving the self?

HOOT Creative Arts

Episode 5: Beyond Happiness

(Friday 20th July at 13.45)

What if happiness isn’t about the self at all?

Previous Productions

King Kong – The Township Jazz Musical
chosen for Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Year’

This Radio 3 Sunday Feature has been chosen by Clarke Peters for Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Year’ and will broadcast 25th December 2017.

King Kong
Clark Peters

King Kong – The Township Jazz Musical

Tune in to BBC Radio 3’s, Sunday Feature slot on Sunday 19th February at 18.45 to hear award-winning alto saxophonist, Soweto Kinch, uncover the story of ‘King Kong – The African Jazz Musical’

read more…

Is Small the Next Big?
Chosen for Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Week’

Chosen for BBC Radio 4’s ‘Pick of the Week’ on Sunday 15th May 2016.

read more…

E.F.Schumacher: Is Small the Next Big?

BBC Radio 4, Monday May 9th at 20.00 & Wednesday May 11th at 11.00.
Leo Johnson explores the radical vision of E.F.Schumacher, cult author of the 1970s classic “Small is Beautiful”.

No Destination wins Sandford St Martin Trust Radio Award 2015

No Destination triumphed in the radio category. The programme made for Radio 4 by Reel Soul Movies told the story of Satish Kumar in his own words. In an hour-long broadcast, he relived the experience of walking 8,000 miles to deliver packets of ‘peace tea’ to the leaders of the world’s four nuclear powers.
Listen to the slightly shorter, BBC World Service version on iPlayer :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0227g94

Interview: Scilla Elworthy



Dr. Scilla Elworthy founded the Oxford Research Group (ORG) in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics.

Book

Her new book, Pioneering the Possible
 : Awakened leadership for a world that works was published on the 7th October in the US by North Atlantic Books and will be available in the UK on the 7th November.

This is what people say about the book:

“Let this book wake you up to your own inner power – the capacity now required to help resolve global problems and build a world that works for all.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“This book is certainly a powerful catalyst towards the new world of consciousness, founded in listening and empathy that the world needs to embrace.”
Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, the entrepreneurial foundation of the worldwide Virgin Group