Factual Fiction Head of Development Chamoun Issa has exited the company he co-founded with Emily Dalton, Tom Dalton and Patrick Irwin in 2020.
Issa plans to expand his work “nurturing breakthrough talent and developing creatively ambitious stories across drama and comedy.”
Factual Fiction shows include Prime Video’s The Greatest Show Never Made and Channel 5’s Murder Most Puzzling.
“I’ve had the most wonderful five years at Factual Fiction,” says Issa. “We set out to build the UK’s first off-grid production company, with sustainability and diversity at its heart. That mission shaped our slate and attracted real industry attention. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved together and I will be cheering the team on.
“As a disabled creator championing new and unheard voices, this is not only a personal passion but the work I want to devote myself to. Growing up in Beirut during the Civil War, film and television were both an escape and a way to make sense of the world. That has always been my connection to storytelling. The kind of originality I respond to often comes from talents who have not yet been heard.”
At Factual Fiction, Issa led development across the scripted slate and established relationships with a new generation of diverse talent. He created and co-wrote the series #DorianGray, with young writer and poet Maiya John. The 12-part series, a contemporary reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s classic, is being developed with ZDF Studios for the international market. He also developed the youth comedy The Benefits of Disabled Sex with rising comedy writer Sonny Howes.
Before co-founding Factual Fiction, Issa worked with Emily Dalton at DSP, where he helped develop the factual company’s scripted slate. His first project there was Agatha and the Truth of Murder, which he originated, developed, and executive produced. The film sold to 139 territories and spawned two sequels.
Issa plans to continue developing “original voices and shaping creatively ambitious, commercially-minded storytelling”. “This is a real opportunity for the industry,” he says. “Pairing a new writer with their first major project is thrilling, and I’m excited to bring this focus to the kind of companies that have strong relationships with broadcasters and streamers as I begin this next chapter.”
Jon Creamer
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