Natural history producer-distributor Off the Fence is in talks to find a new home after entering bankruptcy proceedings.
The company, which has UK offices in London and Bristol, was formed in Amsterdam in 1994 and became part of ZDF Studios six years ago.
However, it has now in the hands of a trustee to consider its next steps after its current management and ZDF concluded they could not make it financially viable despite a post-pandemic restructure into three pillars: OTF Originals, OTF Studios and OTF FAST.
Best known for Oscar-winning Netflix doc My Octopus Teacher [pictured], which was produced by its Bristol team, Off the Fence has a content library of more than 6,500 hours, including third-party material, co-productions and more than 700 hours of original content.
Chief executive Bo Stehmeier said in a statement that OTF is in “negotiations with some interested parties and we hope to find a new home and partner”.
He said: “Off The Fence has experienced a time that has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging for all businesses in our sector on a global scale.
“The work of diversifying revenue streams, strengthening global partnerships, co-productions and funded developments with brands, philanthropic agencies and building a digital infrastructure has created a proposition that is, in our view, a very attractive vehicle for global partners with a vision of scale and quality.
“Despite the joint efforts of everybody at Off The Fence and shareholder ZDF Studios, we were not able to avoid this situation.”
