TT Feature Film

Summary

The request sought details on the selection process and contracts for a TT feature film involving nine interested parties. The Department for Enterprise confirmed a selection process was used and identified the winning consortium but withheld the specific contract under commercial confidentiality exemptions.

Key Facts

• A selection process was used to choose the film producer from nine interested parties.
• The Department for Enterprise invited interested parties to submit project outlines including budget, genre, and economic contribution.
• The rights were awarded to a partnership between Free Association, Plan B, Mediawan, Entertainment 360, and Box to Box Films.
• The selected project resulted in an exclusive sales offer from Amazon MGM Studios.
• The specific contract and agreement details were withheld to protect commercial interests.

Data Disclosed

• 9 parties
• last three years
• 2023 Isle of Man TT Races
• 2025-08-08
• 2025-09-05
• section 30
• s30(2)(a)

Exemptions Cited

• Section 30(2)(a) of the Act (Commercial interests/Trade secrets)

Original Request

Further to my recent request under ref 4811542 and your subsequent answers, can you please tell me if a selection process was used and if so, what the process was to ascertain who out of the 9 parties interested in producing a TT feature film in the last three years were awarded the rights/contract or package. Can I please have a copy of any agreement, contract and or package made between an Isle of Man Government department, whether that be the Department of Enterprise or another department and the party/s who were awarded such contract/rights and or package to produce the film.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624 686400) Website: https://www.iomdfenterprise.im/

Our ref: 4859829 5 September 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 8 August 2025, which states:

"Further to my recent request under ref 4811542 and your subsequent answers, can you please tell me if a selection process was used and if so, what the process was to ascertain who out of the 9 parties interested in producing a TT feature film in the last three years were awarded the rights/contract or package. Can I please have a copy of any agreement, contract and or package made between an Isle of Man Government department, whether that be the Department of Enterprise or another department and the party/s who were awarded such contract/rights and or package to produce the film."

Our response to your request is as follows:

A selection process was used.

Following the 2023 Isle of Man TT Races, the Department for Enterprise invited all parties that expressed an interest at that time to provide a brief outline of their project including; a short summary of the project, genre, budget and financing, committed talent, draft production schedule, approximate bed nights/ crew size, on island filming requirements and local economic contribution.

The Department reviewed each submission and, with external specialist advice, identified the proposal most aligned with the event objectives and strategy, and most likely to achieve distribution from broadcast partners.

The decision was taken to support the factual and fictional projects partnership between Free Association, Plan B and their parent company Mediawan, Entertainment 360 and Box to Box Films with exclusive market specific sales agreements with lead partner Free Association.

The exclusive sales process subsequently resulted in an offer from Amazon MGM studios for both factual and fictional projects. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information requested is exempt under section 30 of the Act, as disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the

contracted party.
Application of Section 30(2)(a)

This Department therefore will apply an exemption under s30(2)(a) of the Act on the basis that it is a trade secret and commercially confidential.

This Department is fully aware that the information provided in response to a request of this nature is deemed to be a disclosure to the world in general rather than a disclosure to an individual requestor.

It is this Department’s opinion that whilst disclosure of the information could be in the public interest, if disclosed the release of the contract information is information used in a trade or business, is not generally known and the contracting party has not permitted its widespread publication.

The contracted party has made it clear that they consider releasing the information contained in the contract would be advantageous to their competitors. Furthermore, the value of this information would not diminish over time.

Without the release of this contract, competitors could not discover or reproduce the information themselves.

On balance the request has been assessed in favour of not releasing the contract.

As section 30 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large, which in this case isn’t applicable.

Factors in favour of disclosure

Disclosure would promote increased transparency and provide insight and better understanding of the cost of commercial revenue through a government promoted sporting event.

Factors in favour of withholding

This Department's ability to negotiate future terms favourable to the Isle of Man Government and the event with other industry organisations would be impacted by the release of this contract including future income generation.

The release of the contract would also impact on the ability of both the Motion picture production company and the distributor to negotiate the best financial outcomes from any future agreements with other events, rights holders, producers, studios, distributors or broadcasters.

In taking these statements into account, this Department has determined that the

factors in favour of maintaining the full exemption for the release of the contract outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing some of the information contained in the contract.

On the basis that the general public interest in the contract is referred to under headings such as transparency and informing the public debate, there is no clear, compelling or specific justification for the disclosure of the information.

This Department in applying the public interest test cannot identify any reason for release that would outweigh the obvious interest in protecting the confidentiality of the terms between the Department and the contracting party.

Please quote the reference number 4859829 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.