7 months ago
Filmmaker Kirk Jones Sold Home to Fund 'I Swear'
Kirk Jones, the director of the movie 'I Swear,' sold his house to pay for making the film.
He and his wife used the money from selling their home and took a loan to finance the entire project.
This way, they had full control over the movie and didn't have to change anything, like the swearing in the film, which is about a man with Tourette syndrome.
The movie has been nominated for several BAFTA awards and has done well at the UK box office.
Jones is happy with the decision and doesn't regret it, even though they haven't made their money back yet.
He plans to focus on making British films in the future and won't use his own money to fund another movie.
Kirk Jones and his wife sold their home and took a loan to finance the film 'I Swear' entirely with their own money.
The film, based on the life of John Davidson who has Tourette syndrome, received six BAFTA nominations.
Jones wanted to maintain creative control and avoid censorship, particularly regarding the film's swearing.
The film has grossed $8.2 million at the UK box office and is set for a US release in April.
Jones has no regrets about his decision and plans to focus on making British films in the future.
- Who
- Kirk Jones and his wife Cindy
- What
- Sold their home to finance the film 'I Swear'
- Where
- UK, primarily Bristol and Buckinghamshire
- When
- Recent, exact timeline not specified
- Why
- To maintain creative control and avoid censorship of the film's content, particularly the swearing
Key facts
- Filmmaker
- Kirk Jones
- Film Title
- I Swear
- Budget
- £2.8 million ($3.73 million)
- Financing Method
- Personal funds from selling home and loan
- BAFTA Nominations
- 6 nominations including Outstanding British Film and Original Screenplay
- UK Box Office
- $8.2 million
- US Release Date
- April (Sony Picture Classics)
- Lead Actor
- Robert Aramayo
Quotes
Kirk Jones
Writer and director of StudioCanal’s I Swear
“There’s not been one sleepless night. And it’s because every day and every scene we shot, and every time we moved on, I looked and I thought, ‘I am so glad that we have decided to finance this film because I could see it was working.’ I didn’t know. You never know until the whole film’s put together really what you’ve got. But every single day I could see that it was working. And every single day I asked myself that question: If I could change my mind now, would I, and suddenly bring a financier on board and get my money back? And not once did I think I wanted to do that. I could see it was something special.”
deadline.com
“They basically said, ‘Look, we love it, but in its current form, we don’t think we can take on because people are going to have trouble with the swearing.’ And by then I was so invested in Tourettes and John, I knew that the swearing wasn’t an issue. And the film, if you look online, there must be thousands of people who have commented on the film. Luckily, most people like it. I haven’t seen one single comment about the swearing, because as soon as the film starts, you understand that it has no meaning at all. It’s not said in malice, it’s not vicious, it’s not violent. It’s a medical condition.”
deadline.com
Robert Aramayo
Lead actor in I Swear
“What the absolute f*ck, what the f*ck?!”
deadline.com
