Brexit: The Movie was written and directed by Martin Durkin to advocate for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit) prior to the June 2016 referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union. The film was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, with a goal of £100,000 reached with contributions from 1,500 donors by February 26, 2016.
According to the film’s official website, by the end of production, over 1800 contributors had raised over £300,000. One of the film’s producers, David Shipley, was found guilty of fraud by false representation and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in February 2020. The fraud occurred in 2014 when he was trying to find funding for his corporate finance consulting firm Spitfire Capital. The firm allocated £50,000 for the production of the movie.
The film features many of the leading supporters of leaving the European Union, including:
- The 5th Viscount Ridley, former chairman of the collapsed Northern Rock bank;
- Baron Hannan of Kingsclere, former Member of the European Parliament;
- Baroness Fox of Buckley, former Member of the European Parliament and co-publisher of Living Marxism;
- Baron Lawson of Blaby Former politician and journalist;
- Baron Howard of Limbo Former politician;
- Baroness Lylehill and Rutlin Former politician;
- Baron Lilly of Offa Former politician;
- James Delingpole Columnist, The Spectator;
- Janet Daly, columnist for the Daily Telegraph;
- Simon Heffer, columnist for the Daily Telegraph;
- James Bartholomew Daily Telegraph columnist and former Brexit candidate;
- Mark Littlewood, director of the Institute of Economic Affairs;
- Eamonn Butler, economist at the Adam Smith Institute;
- Kelvin Mackenzie, former editor of The Sun;
- Baroness Lea of Limbo, former economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs.