Frank Films

What Frank Films does

Frank Films is a Bristol-based independent documentary production company founded in 2019 by Jamie Balment, former BBC Commissioning Editor for Documentaries. The company produces factual and observational documentary films and series for major UK broadcasters — including BBC (One, Two, Wales), Channel 4, and Channel 5 — and has expanded its commissioning base to include international streamers such as Netflix, National Geographic, Sky Documentaries, and PBS. Its portfolio spans social-issue documentaries (STRIKE! THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT BACK, A Paedophile in My Family: Surviving Dad), adventure and anthropology (Tribe with Bruce Parry), military (PLATOON), natural history (Our Oceans, Great National Parks, Amazing Animal Journeys), lifestyle and longevity (How to Live to 100), and observational fishing-community series (Cornwall: This Fishing Life, Trawlermen: Hunting the Catch). Productions have received BAFTA Cymru wins, RTS West and RTS Cymru wins, and Grierson nominations.

The company operates on a project-by-project commissioning model: it develops documentary concepts, pitches to broadcasters and streamers, and delivers finished programmes in exchange for production fees and licensing payments. Its underlying capability is craft-based — editorial development, access negotiation, location production, and post-production — rather than technology-based; the team is the primary production asset, and senior personnel (Jamie Balment, Will Lorimer, Mark Raeburn) carry BBC, Channel 4, and BBC Studios pedigree. The technology stack consists of standard documentary filmmaking and video production workflows; no AI, software products, or platform architecture is offered.

Frank Films is a privately held UK limited company (Company No. 11648833), bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, headquartered in Bristol, and operating with a headcount in the 11–50 range. The company has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed revenue, and no public pricing; distribution is entirely through its commissioning partners' broadcast and streaming platforms.

Name

Frank Films

Legal name

Frank Films

Website

https://frank-films.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Frank Films is a Bristol-based independent documentary production company founded in 2019 that produces BAFTA-recognized factual and observational documentaries for UK broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5) and global streamers (Netflix, National Geographic, Sky Documentaries).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Documentary production services
• Factual television programming
• Natural history series
• Broadcast commissioning services
• Documentary film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Commissioning: Frank Films generates revenue by producing documentary content commissioned by broadcasters. The company develops, produces, and delivers documentary programmes to TV networks in exchange for production fees and licensing payments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Frank Films is an independent Bristol-based documentary production company that develops, produces, and delivers factual documentaries and series for UK and international broadcasters. The company secures broadcast commissions from networks including BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Netflix, National Geographic, and Sky Documentaries, producing programmes in genres spanning natural history, observational documentary, social-issue documentary, military, and lifestyle. Productions are delivered on a commissioned project basis in exchange for production fees and broadcast licensing payments.

Product overview

Frank Films is a documentary production company founded in 2019 and based in Bristol, specializing in Bafta Award-winning factual documentaries. The company produces documentary films and series for UK broadcasters including BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, and international platforms. Their portfolio includes immersive documentary series like Tribe with Bruce Parry (exploring remote indigenous communities), military documentaries like PLATOON, social issue documentaries such as STRIKE! THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT BACK and A Paedophile in My Family: Surviving Dad, natural history and lifestyle series including Cornwall: This Fishing Life and How to Live to 100, and sports documentaries like Hell On Wheels. The company operates as a single unified production studio rather than a platform-with-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tribe with Bruce Parry 3-part documentary series (3 x 60') in which Bruce Parry returns to television to visit remote communities living radically different lives, traveling to the Colombian Amazon, Angola's Namib Desert, and Indonesia's Sumba island. Commissioned by BBC Two.
• PLATOON 4-part documentary series (4 x 60') following the creation of a military family from scratch, documenting soldiers of The RIFLES infantry regiment from formation through training to deployment readiness. Commissioned by Channel 5.
• STRIKE! THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT BACK Single documentary (1 x 60') telling the story of six women from the South Wales mining valleys who organised, campaigned, and picketed during the 1984-85 miners' strike to protect their families and communities. Commissioned by BBC Wales. Won BAFTA Cymru Director and Documentary awards.
• Trawlermen: Hunting the Catch 6-part documentary series (6 x 60') following Britain's deep-sea fishing fleet across 300,000 square miles of ocean, tracking 24 fishing boats via GPS over one winter. Commissioned by BBC One and BBC Two. Won RTS West Factual and Production Management awards.
• A Paedophile in My Family: Surviving Dad Single personal documentary (1 x 52') following Emily Victoria confronting childhood sexual abuse by her father, exploring the power of speaking up and supporting survivors. Commissioned by Channel 4. Grierson-nominated for Best Single Documentary, Domestic, and Best Documentary Presenter.
• How to Live to 100 2-part documentary series (2 x 47') in which broadcaster Jon Snow visits communities around the world known for longevity, including Ikaria in Greece, California Adventists, and Japan's Nagano prefecture. Commissioned by Channel 4.
• Cornwall: This Fishing Life 12-part documentary series (12 x 60') following young Cornish fishermen fighting to save their traditional way of life amid challenges from Brexit, foreign fishing boats, and business consolidation.
• Hell On Wheels 4-part documentary series (4 x 30') following Wales's all-female roller derby team, the Tiger Bay Brawlers, as they compete against the best in Europe. Won RTS Cymru Best Newcomer (Toby Cameron).

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple award wins including BAFTA Cymru, RTS awards, and Grierson nominations

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frank-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frank Films