Insider Media Limited

A Market Harborough film producer has taken his documentary about legendary music label Creation Records to 46 film festivals after securing £144,000 of funding from NatWest. Danny O'Connor told Insider the global success of the film – which chronicles the careers of bands including Oasis and Primal Scream – had led to several major new projects.

Alongside business partner Karen Craig, O'Connor runs Document Productions, the team behind the Upside Down film. The documentary charts the history of Creation Records, responsible for some of the largest names in the 1990s Brit-pop phenomenon. Since its release, it has been shown at 46 film festivals in 38 countries.

"We had no idea that the project could be so successful globally", he said. "I think that because it's all about the music and there's not much else to comprehend, it really has this ability to be appreciated throughout the world."

To enable them to take the film worldwide, Document Productions agreed funding with NatWest under the government's enterprise finance guarantee scheme.

The £144,000 loan allows the company to purchase the music rights for the global release and also provides additional working capital to support the distribution of the movie around the world.

O'Connor, who self-funded the £500,000 project, said: "The reaction to the film has been good, both from a critical and a commercial perspective. There is a desire to take the film to a wider audience, and we believe there is a healthy demand and interest in hearing about this important period of UK music history."

He was given an award from MOJO Magazine for the production of the film earlier this year.

"It was a very surreal experience – The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and John Lydon from the Sex Pistols were presented with awards, then my name was called – it was an amazing feeling," he said.

Since the film has been released, O'Connor said he is fulfilling one his dreams by working with the Irish Library and Film board to create a piece on poet William Butler Yeats. He has also created a radio documentary about US band The White Stripes for Radio One and will work with magazines The Big Issue and NME on their respective birthday issues.

"It's a privilege to have been given these great projects to work on", he said. "We really have had a great year, and it looks like it will stay that way for the foreseeable future."

But despite Document Productions' success, O'Connor admitted the creative industry was a "nightmare" currently.

"You really do have to be mad to get into it sometimes," said the former war reporter. "You put in an awful lot of time, effort – and in my case a lot of money with this film – without really knowing what you'll get back. When you do commit a lot of cash to a project, cashflow becomes an issue because you have no capital left to work with.

"I definitely wouldn't change it though – you don't get anywhere in life without taking a few risks."