New Boutique Film Financier Saudade Ink Introduces ‘Parallel Tales’ and ‘All Of A Sudden’ EPs

New Film Financing Venture Launched by Downey and Haznevi

Ireland-UK producer Mike Downey and Istanbul-based Emir Külal Haznevi have established a new boutique film financing company, Saudade Ink, aimed at developing, producing, and investing in arthouse cinema from around the globe.

This initiative is backed by a consortium of private investors from Turkey and the Middle East, with plans to allocate up to €2 million ($2.3 million) annually during its first two years. Individual project investments are expected to range between €150,000 and €200,000.

Downey and Haznevi project that Saudade Ink will finance five to eight productions each year by prominent international directors, including some initial seed funding for development phases. The duo will be present at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, scouting for investment opportunities and acting as executive producers for two contenders for the prestigious Palme d’Or: Parallel Tales directed by Asghar Farhadi and All of a Sudden from Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

The creation of Saudade Ink formalizes a longstanding collaboration between Downey and Haznevi, who have previously partnered on projects such as Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border and the recent Oscar nominee Franz, as well as films like Rajko Grlic’s It All Ends Here and Antonio Nuic’s Looping, which is set to premiere internationally later this year.

"Emir and I have been working together on a wide range of productions for a number of years now," said Downey, who previously served as chair of the European Film Academy. "The time had come to formalize our business relationship, and the coming together of the film fund gave us the ideal opportunity to do that. What better time to do it than with a couple of our strategic investments being selected for competition in Cannes?"

Haznevi emphasized the significance of their industry connections, noting, "Our initial investments have seen a low-risk strategy already bear fruit on individual projects, ranging from Franz, which had its world premiere in Toronto, to Green Border. We have had our last four films in a row all launched at FIAPF ‘A’ Class festivals, and the resultant sales have resonated with our investors."

Downey, who has produced over 100 films and previously served as CEO of Film and Music Entertainment, stated, "Our contacts to European and global talent are second to none, and as our recent output shows with my Girls on Wire by Vivian Qu in Berlin Competition and Farhadi and Hamaguchi in Cannes, we can access talent at the highest level. World cinema, in the sense of ‘world music’, has always been my passion, and it is reflected in the 100+ films I’ve made all over the world."

Born in Syria in 1986, Haznevi graduated in Cinema Studies from Marmara University and founded Saudade Film in 2015. He has contributed as a creator and producer to over 250 episodes for various Turkish and international TV shows.

Together, Downey and Haznevi are also developing Haznevi’s debut feature-length film, The Sun, The Moon and The Eleven Stars, as his directorial venture.

Saudade Ink is envisioned as a script-driven venture, drawing upon their previous collaborations with numerous writers, including James Ellroy, the late Günter Grass, and Lee Hall, among others.

The partnership remains non-exclusive, allowing both Haznevi and Downey to continue pursuing individual projects through their respective companies, Saudade and Downey Ink.

Haznevi currently has several projects in development, while Downey continues his collaboration with Sarka Cimbalova’s Marlene Film, following their work on the last three Agnieszka Holland films—Franz, Green Border, and Charlatan. Additional projects involving Holland and Cimbalova are also in progress.

Downey’s adaptation of Haki Stërmilli’s Albanian novel If I Were A Boy, co-written and directed by Fatmir Koci, is set to begin shooting in late fall. Other upcoming projects include the documentary Don’t Stop Dreaming, focusing on the Rio de Janeiro Ballet phenomenon Projeto ViDançar, which will enter production in November. Downey is also in development with Chinese director Vivian Qu.

With his extensive experience, Downey has established connections with a diverse range of filmmakers through his 25 years on the board of the European Film Academy, collaborating with notable figures such as Wim Wenders, István Szabó, and Sir Ben Kingsley, among others.