Cultural Test into the hands of UK FC
by Annika Pham
UK Film Minister Shaun Woodward has just announced that, as of April 1, the administration function for British film certification – which gives access to UK film tax relief – will move from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to the UK Film Council (UK FC).
The UK FC already undertakes operational functions such as co-production treaty negotiation and allocation of funding on behalf of the DCMS. It was therefore logical for the main UK film body to take over the operational running of the Certification Unit. Woodward said: "This is the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle of the UK's new workable and generous tax relief system. I hope this will help the UK’s film industry to thrive in 2007 and beyond.”
Last November, the European Commission approved the new UK film tax credit but asked for a revision of the Cultural Test for British Film, which determines whether films can qualify for the new tax relief.
At the time, influential film executive and producer Michael Kuhn (Qwerty Films) voiced concerns to Cineuropa about the fact that the DCMS was going to be responsible for British film certification: “What is worrying is that some person at the DCMS we’ve never heard of is going to determine if a film qualifies as British based on a point system, which has nothing to do with the qualitative aspect of a film”, he said. The handing over of such a responsibility to the UK FC should therefore reassure many UK and international producers.
From April 1, when the new UK film tax credit will go into effect, the UK FC Certification Unit will therefore be responsible for assessing all films wanting to apply for the new tax relief and having to pass the Cultural Test.
It will also assess applications from the Council of Europe Convention on cinematic co- production and the UK’s other co-productions agreements. After having analysed the applications, the UK FC Certification Unit will write a report recommending a decision that will then be submitted to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who will, in turn, make the final decision.
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