Film producer William Santor, the man behind a string of major movie productions in the Cayman Islands, was found dead at his part-built home in Vista Del Mar on Saturday.
The Canadian entrepreneur was instrumental in bringing A-list stars including Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman to the islands to make multiple movies during the pandemic.
At the time of his death, he had been suspended from his role at Productivity Media and was facing allegations of fraud in relation to his activities as CEO of the company.
A Canadian court had placed a freezing order on his assets, including his Cayman home, amid accusations that he had misappropriated at least CAD$44 million – equivalent to around CI$25 million – from the company.
Santor, 50, who lived in Grand Cayman, was found unresponsive at his Vista Del Mar property, which was still under construction, at 11:50am Saturday. Police released few details about the apparent suicide, saying the matter is “currently under investigation”.
He was married with two young children.
The man behind the COVID-era movie boom
Despite the serious allegations surrounding him in his last days, Santor’s legacy in Cayman was largely positive.
He was responsible for some of the biggest movie productions ever made on the islands, including thrillers ‘The Retirement Plan’ and ‘The Baker’.
Beyond that, the productions generated excitement and economic activity at a time when Cayman was a COVID-free bubble during the pandemic.
As sets across the globe were being shut down, movie stars, including Cage, Harvey Keitel and Bob Saget, quarantined at the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa but were otherwise free to move around the island and shoot movies.
The chance to work on those projects also helped launch careers in the industry for a number of Caymanians.
Those who knew Santor described a gregarious and charming man who loved Cayman and had a vision for an expanded movie industry on the islands.
Even after the pandemic ended, he remained an advocate for the film industry on the island, which he had made his permanent home.
Attending a question-and-answer session at a public screening of ‘The Baker’, starring Perlman, he proposed the islands consider financial incentives to bring more movie makers to the island.
A man with vision
Jackie Doak, director at Dart Enterprises, which along with government was instrumental in paving the way for those movies to be produced in Cayman, said she got to know Santor and his family well over the years.
“William brought excitement, global prestige, solid economic contributions and meaningful film industry education to numerous Caymanians during the pandemic and lockdown,” she said.
“His passion and vision for putting Cayman in the spotlight was commendable. We will always value the spirit of collaboration and the contributions he made to our community.”
On a personal level, she said his death was a tragedy and came as a shock.
“It is a poignant reminder that in times of despair, there is hope and I encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out for support and remember that help is available,” Doak said.
Victoria Wheaton, who interviewed Santor multiple times as a journalist and as the MC of various events, said he was warm and approachable with an obvious passion for film.
“I think people were surprised at how genuinely nice he was, when compared to the tales of ruthless Hollywood types,” Wheaton said.
“He was a fierce advocate of movie projects in Cayman, and spoke often of how a film school would benefit young Caymanians interested in the industry.
“He would also talk with pride about those who had worked on the local sets, and had subsequently gone on to continue their training overseas. He really celebrated their successes.”
Fraud allegations
The accusations against Santor came as a surprise to those who knew him in Cayman.
Allegations about “financial mismanagement” first surfaced in September in movie industry publication The Hollywood Reporter.
According to those reports, Productivity Media confirmed at that time that Santor had been placed on a temporary leave of absence and that accountancy firm PwC had been brought in to check its books and review loans.
The company subsequently went into receivership and auditors acting on behalf of its creditors alleged in court filings that Santor may have misappropriated as much as CAD$100 million (CI$58 million) from the company.
Earlier this month, the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario agreed to freeze Santor’s global assets pending the outcome of litigation.
Santor was accused of abusing his position of trust with the funds to facilitate payment of fictitious loans to ‘imposter companies’ that he controlled.
“The plaintiff’s investigation is ongoing, such that the full magnitude of its losses is not yet known, but to this point it has learned that at least approximately [CAD]$44,448,871 has been misappropriated by Mr. Santor from Productivity Media Income Fund,” Justice WD Black stated in an endorsement, ordering the tracing and preservation of all Santor’s assets.
“It appears evident that starting in 2016, Mr. Santor engaged in a fraudulent scheme to perpetrate and conceal the diversion of the gross amount of $100,000,000 from the Fund to various Ontario corporations he created and controlled,” the document states.
The court had not made any finding of fact in relation to his guilt or innocence but indicated there was enough evidence for a strong case of civil fraud.
Related Videos
