Today, the DCMS announced that the UK Film Council would be abolished. Later, Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt MP responded to a question by MP Ian Paisley Jr saying the plans were not absolutely final, and invited people to voice opinions on the matter. Here is a good round up on Screen International (needs subscription).
The UK Film Council contributed approximately £900,000 to Vision+Media’s funds in the financial year 2009/10. Along with the other eight regional screen agencies, under the umbrella organisation of Screen England, Vision+Media has been supporting the region's Film industry and distributing those funds since 2002.
This year, we'll continue to deliver the work for the Film Industry and promoting Creativity and Culture that we're funded to do by the UK Film Council. We have much to deliver this year, from Script writing masterclasses to short film opportunities.
You can read more about how we work with the UK Film Council on Alice, our CEO's blog post on the matter.
Here are some highlights of the work UKFC has delivered and some UKFC funded Vision+Media projects.
- Transformed the UK film industry – making it more accessible, enabling more UK productions and boosting the profile of UK film beyond our shores, particularly in Hollywood
- £74 million earned from National Lottery investments has been reinvested to make new British films, provide people with more opportunities to gain the skills to work in film, and give audiences across the UK better access to more films;
- Worked with public investment, backing more than 900 films (shorts and features) which have entertained more than 200 million people and generated approximately £700 million at the box office worldwide, taking the best of British film culture and talent around the world. UK Film Council-backed films include Bend it like Beckham, The Constant Gardener, Gosford Park, Man on Wire,This is England, Touching the Void, Vera Drake and The Wind that Shakes the Barley.
- The Digital Film Archive Fund (DFAF) - a UK Film Council lottery fund managed in the North West by Vision+Media, invested £276,000 over two years from 2008-2010 to support innovative programmes ensuring wider access to the UK's screen heritage.
- Digital Departures - in partnership with Vision+Media, Liverpool Culture Company and BBC Films, this project awarded three film makers £250,000 to make a feature film in Liverpool. These were Of Time and the City, Salvage, K I C K S. Many of those involved in these productions have since gone on to great success - for example, ‘Of Time and the City’ producers Sol Papadopoulos and Roy Boulter were nominated for the Carl Foreman Award at this year’s BAFTA ceremony and ‘KICKS’ director Lindy Heymann and writer Leigh Campbell were shortlisted as ‘Best British Newcomer’ at this year’s London Film Festival.
- Film Production funding in the North West: including BAFTA nominated ‘Nowhere Boy’, the highly acclaimed ‘Looking For Eric’, ‘‘A Boy Called Dad’, which was selected to be screened at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival and Ken Loach’s ‘Route Irish’, nominated for the Palme D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
**Update** There has been considerable support voiced for UK Film Council and if you wish to add your voice:
Join Facebook Group
Sign online petition
