Demise of the UK Film Council

In July this year, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced that the UK Film Council would be abolished by 2012.

Set up in 2000 by the Labour government, the organisation serves to develop and support the British film industry. Its primary activity is the distribution of Lottery money to various projects, ranging from animation features to documentaries.

Over the last 10 years, it has financially backed more than 900 productions, which include commercial hits (Bend It Like Beckham, Notting Hill, Slumdog Millionaire), critics’ favourites (The Last King of Scotland, Gosford Park, The Constant Gardner), experimental films (Hunger, Fish Tank), and huge flops (Sex Lives of Potato Men, Cheri).

In addition, the Council funds:

• Advertising and marketing strategies of niche and mainstream films
• Education and training programmes, such as seminars and exhibitions
• Distribution and export schemes in order to screen independent foreign titles in the UK and promote British films overseas
• Improvements to cinema technology (digital picture and sound) and building refurbishments
• Regional societies and venues across the country

James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Clint Eastwood, Colin Firth and Tim Bevan are just some of the high-profile personalities who have slammed the government’s actions. They claim this closure will be detrimental to the progress of home grown talent since British actors, producers, directors and writers often struggle to compete with their American counterparts.

However, the UK Film Council is not without its critics. Many are in favour of change, arguing the quango had become too bureaucratic and less transparent about the selection process. It was also revealed that eight senior staff received salaries in excess of £100 000 in 2009, giving the impression of civil servants behaving like Hollywood executives.

There is no doubt that filmmaking is an essential sector of the British economy, but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) remains vague about the future.