It was a full house at Chartered Accountants’ Hall on Tuesday 20 May, as senior professionals and invited guests gathered for the film’s premiere. The screening was followed by engaging insights from leading voices in the profession, including:
- Steve Gale, Partner, Head of Audit, Crowe U.K. LLP
- Wendy Russell, Partner, Head of Audit, Grant Thornton UK LLP
- Nick Kós, Chair, Audit Oversight Board, RSM UK
- Kieran Maguire, Academic, author and co-host of the popular podcast ‘The Price of Football’
Each brought their own perspective to the ethical dilemmas showcased in the film, sparking thought-provoking discussion among attendees.
Feedback on the film has been overwhelmingly positive with over 3,000 views of the trailer ahead of the launch and a surge of licensing enquiries from global firms and other organisations following the premiere.
What a superb educational tool for ICAEW-registered audit firms to use to strengthen key messages to audit teams around estimates, judgements, scepticism, ethics and more!
Written by Duncan Wiggetts, ICAEW Chief Officer Professional Standards, Crossing the Line follows two interconnected audit teams: one at high-growth tech company Xoltic, the other at Scarbridge FC, a struggling football club recently acquired by Xoltic’s ambitious CEO. As the auditors face mounting pressures, viewers are drawn into a realistic portrayal of the decisions and consequences that define audit quality and professional integrity.
With scenes filmed at QPR’s Loftus Road football ground, the film features an impressive cast including William Ellis (EastEnders, Great Expectations), Priya Davdra (EastEnders, Queenie) and Tim Plester (Game of Thrones, After Life).
In a landmark move, ICAEW has made the film available free to all 2,000 ICAEW-registered audit firms, underscoring its commitment to advancing audit quality across the board.
We have made a decision to release the film without charge as part of our desire to see audit quality improve and to underline our pledge to be an improvement regulator.
The film has been distributed directly to audit compliance principals at ICAEW-registered firms. Firms with a global network, based outside the UK or those not registered with ICAEW can enquire about licences via the form linked below.
To help firms make the most of the film, ICAEW has developed a comprehensive Facilitator’s Guide, complete with pause points, discussion questions, and a detailed Who’s Who Character Guide. These materials will be shared with audit compliance principals in the coming weeks and are designed to support impactful, team-based training and workshops.
If you’ve seen the film, we’d love to hear from you. Your feedback is invaluable to help shape the development of future training materials. Please take a moment to complete our short survey.
If you would like more information on purchasing a licence or if you have any other questions, please complete our form.