18/11/2009

In a bid to counter the twin threats of the recession and the £25m reduction of income due to the 2012 Olympics, the UK Film Council (UKFC) is planning to amalgamate its existing Premier, New Cinema and Development Funds into a single £15m Film Production Fund.

The Fund, which will come into effect after a three-month public consultation period, will focus on first- and second-time filmmakers who will be managed by four UKFC appointed “creative gatekeepers”. There will also be a new £5m Innovation Fund, to promote new business models and ensure UK film’s successful transition into a fully digital age.

UKFC Chairman Tim Bevan said, “The support the UKFC has given film culture and the film industry over the past ten years has been enormous, but we’re now operating in a very different environment and we need to adapt to meet the needs of a new generation of audiences and filmmakers. To do that when the UKFC is itself having to find savings of £25 million over the next three years is a real challenge.

“But it’s now more important than ever to ensure we invest as much money as possible in film production, in creative and cultural excellence, and in helping UK film make a successful transition into the digital age – and that’s exactly what we’re proposing to do.”

UKFC CEO John Woodward said, “Separate to the consultation process itself, we are also cutting our overheads by 20% to push more money into front-line film activity. The next three months are about consulting with people from across the film sector, listening to their views on our proposals and locking in the right priorities going forward from April 2010 – but until then, it's very much business as usual.”