Overview
Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME, also known as FAME) is a British independent film production and co-production company founded in 2000 by producers Mike Downey and Sam Taylor. Originally headquartered in London, the company is now based in Dublin, Ireland, with a UK office at 16 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AH. F&ME produces 2 in-house films and between 4 and 6 co-productions per year in the 1.5 to 5 million GBP budget range.
The company has produced or co-produced over 65 feature films through 145 international co-producing partners, with a total production budget of EUR 325 million across its first 20-plus years. F&ME's catalog includes Academy Award nominee and Venice Golden Lion winner Before the Rain, the box office horror hit Deathwatch, Cannes Directors' Fortnight opener Princess, Sundance South African hit Son of Man, and the 2012 Berlinale Audience Award winner Parada by Srdjan Dragojevic.
F&ME is not a distributor but a production and co-production company. It is included in this directory because of its role as a co-production partner for filmmakers seeking European production financing and co-production structures. For filmmakers developing projects with European co-production potential, F&ME represents one of the most experienced co-production companies in Europe, with operations in the UK, Ireland, and across the continent.
Founders and Leadership
Mike Downey, the majority shareholder and joint CEO, is a European Film Academy Board Member, BAFTA Council member, and member of the BAFTA Film Committee. He founded F&ME as part of a public offering on the Frankfurt Neuer Markt in 2000. Downey's partnership with director Agnieszka Holland on Charlatan (2021) was a candidate for the US Academy Awards.
Sam Taylor, joint CEO and 50% owner, has produced over 65 feature films through F&ME with over 145 international co-producing partners. She is a member of the PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television) Board and teaches co-production at the National Film and Television School. Taylor's first film as producer was Before the Rain, winner of the Venice Golden Lion and an Academy Award nominee.
The company's advisory board includes film director Stephen Daldry (Chairman), former Creative Artists Agency agent Johanna Baldwin, former Chief Executive of the Guardian Group James Markwick, and merchant banker Matthew Wilson.
History and Business Model
F&ME was launched in 2000 as part of a public offering on the Frankfurt Neuer Markt. In 2003, Downey and Taylor led a management buy-out to take the company independent. Since then, F&ME has maintained its annual production targets of 2 in-house films and 4 to 6 co-productions per year in the 1.5 to 5 million GBP budget range.
The first decade of F&ME's existence saw the company entering production on approximately 50 international co-productions with a total budget of EUR 120 million involving 102 production companies from across Europe. By the mid-2020s, those numbers had grown to over 100 co-productions with a total budget of EUR 325 million involving 170 production companies.
F&ME's business model is built on European co-production structures, combining financing from multiple European territories with talent from across the continent and beyond. The company was the first to co-produce with both Croatia and Macedonia, having made 10 films in the region. F&ME has also produced feature films in Brazil, South Africa, and Georgia (Caucasus).
Irish Operations and Production Services
Film and Music Entertainment (IRE) Ltd was registered on September 24, 2014, and operates as a co-producer on Irish productions. The directors include Mike Downey (majority shareholder), Conor Barry, John Keville, and Sam Taylor. The Irish company has credits in eight feature films either completed or in post-production, with three additional projects about to shoot.
F&ME's Irish operations benefit from a bespoke exclusive post-production slate deal with Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, with business affairs and accountancy handled by Grant Thornton Dublin. Irish banking is managed through Allied Irish Bank, and legal representation is through Ruth Hunter at Matheson. All F&ME (IRE) productions are qualified as official Irish qualifying films through Grant Thornton's certification process.
The company also operates a production services division headed by Sam Taylor, providing full-service feature film production support for international productions shooting in the UK, Ireland, or the Isle of Man. Services include pre-production (budgeting, scheduling, casting), production (crewing, line production, the shoot), and post-production (sound, picture, laboratory work).
Notable Productions
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Under the Stars | - | Early production |
| 2002 | Deathwatch | - | Box office horror hit |
| 2003 | Loving Glances | - | - |
| 2005 | Guy X | - | Jason Biggs |
| 2006 | Karaula (The Border Post) | - | - |
| 2009 | White Lightnin' | - | Dinard winner |
| 2011 | The Parade | Srdjan Dragojevic | 2012 Berlinale Audience Award |
| 2012 | Imagine | - | - |
| 2015 | Breathe Umphefumlo | - | - |
| 2016 | I Want to Be Like You | - | - |
| 2020 | Servants | Ivan Ostrochovsky | Berlinale selection, written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz |
| 2021 | Charlatan | Agnieszka Holland | US Academy Awards candidate |
| 2021 | How to Fake a War | Rudolph Herzog | Apple release, sixth film shot in Georgia |
| 2022 | The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo | - | - |
| 2025 | Winter of the Crow | - | In production |
The company's catalog also includes The President (Venice opener, directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Academy Award nominee), Tom of Finland (directed by Dome Karukoski), Return to Montauk (directed by Volker Schlondorff), The Disciple, Dede, The Constitution, The Liberation of Skopje, Life Is a Trumpet, A Stinking Fairytale, Rio 50 Degrees, Amsterdam Express, Holidays in the Sun, Eleven Men Out, The Headsman, The Call of the Toad, Cold Light, Niceland, Strings, and Murk.
Example Titles They've Released
Several F&ME productions achieved commercial and festival results:
- Before the Rain (1994) - Venice Golden Lion winner, Academy Award nominee. Distributed internationally by PolyGram. Selected by The New York Times as one of the 1,000 best films ever made.
- Charlatan (2020) - Agnieszka Holland's biographical drama, Berlinale Special Gala. US distribution by Strand Releasing. Oscar candidate.
- Servants (2020) - Ivan Ostrochovsky's Berlinale Encounters selection. International sales by Loco Films, sold to France's ARP Selection.
- Tom of Finland (2017) - Dome Karukoski's biopic. US distribution by Kino Lorber.
Deal Structure Reputation
F&ME operates on a co-production model, not a traditional distribution deal structure. The company takes majority or minority co-producer positions depending on the project. Downey has pushed back against the "minority co-producer" label, noting that F&ME often puts up the single biggest part of a budget. The structure is hybrid: F&ME combines UK or Irish tax incentives with financing from multiple European territories, broadcaster pre-sales, and national film fund support. Filmmakers should expect a co-production financing structure where F&ME acts as the UK or Irish qualifying partner, accessing local tax credits in exchange for a co-producer credit and a proportional revenue share.
Typical Acquisition Profile
F&ME does not accept open submissions. The company develops projects through established relationships with European directors and production companies. Its profile favors projects with budgets in the 1.5 to 5 million GBP range that qualify for UK or Irish co-production status, directors with a track record at major European festivals, and stories with cross-border financing appeal. F&ME has particular expertise in the Balkans, Georgia, and Eastern Europe. Filmmakers without an existing relationship should approach F&ME through a referral from a European production partner, at a co-production market (Berlinale EFM, Rotterdam Lab, Sarajevo CineLink), or through their website with a complete project package including director attachment and preliminary budget.
Recent Slate and Acquisition Activity
Mike Downey launched a separate production banner, Downey Ink, in 2025, with a slate unveiled at the Berlinale EFM. Projects include Franz (directed by Agnieszka Holland), The White Water (adapted from Katerina Tuckova's novel), Razor Man (written by Marek Epstein), and If I Were a Boy (directed by Fatmir Koci, shooting Q3 2025). Girls on Wire (directed by Vivian Qu) premiered in Berlin competition in February 2025, with Downey as executive producer. F&ME's Irish division has projects in development with directors including Naji Abu Nowar, MJ Bassett, and Kasia Adamik. Winter of the Crow, supported by the BFI UK Global Screen Fund, is in production.
What Filmmakers Should Know
F&ME is a co-production partner, not a distributor. Filmmakers should approach F&ME when seeking European co-production financing, particularly for projects that qualify for UK or Irish co-production status and have a budget in the 1.5 to 5 million GBP range. The company's expertise in combining financing from multiple European territories makes it valuable for projects that need to piece together funding from several national sources.
F&ME's strength is in what Sam Taylor describes as "FUSION": creating artistic and financial collaborations in countries and with artists that rarely cross over. The company's expertise in combining far-flung locations and European finance with talent from across the world is a defining characteristic. F&ME was the first company to co-produce with Croatia and Macedonia, and has made 10 films in the Balkan region.
For filmmakers with projects that have European co-production potential, F&ME offers:
- UK and Irish co-production qualification: F&ME can serve as the UK or Irish co-producer on international projects, accessing UK and Irish tax incentives and production funding
- European financing structure: The company's relationships with 170 production companies across Europe enable complex multi-territory financing structures
- Production services: For international productions shooting in the UK or Ireland, F&ME's production services division provides full-service support from budgeting through post-production
- Post-production at Windmill Lane: The company's exclusive deal with Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin provides post-production infrastructure for F&ME (IRE) productions
Filmmakers can contact F&ME through their website at fame.uk.com or at their London office: Film and Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd, 16 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AH. The Irish office is at 99 St Stephen's Green, Dublin, D02 V278, Ireland.
Watch: Trailers and Interviews
See Also
For how European co-production financing structures work, see Distribution Deals Explained. For how production companies fit into the international film financing landscape, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. To model potential revenue for a co-production project across multiple territories, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For European film festivals where co-production partners discover projects, see the Film Festivals Directory.
