"Funding and Support" notetaking

• What was the UK Film Council?
• UKFC (UK Film Council)
• A non-departmental public body
• Set up in 2000 by the Labour Government
• Aimed to develop and promote the film industry in the UK.
• Use Lottery funds to support film development, production and distribution in the UK.
• Governed by a board of 15 directors.
• It was funded by the National Lottery, and other various sources.

• What did it do to support short filmmakers and short film making?
• They welcome applications for film projects in all genres, and are committed to promoting diversity in the filmmakers they support.
• There were three funds offering around 17 million Lotteries funding per year for the production and development of films.
• The Development Fund
• Aimed to broaden the quality, range and ambition of film projects being developed in the UK.
• The fund of 12 million aimed to build a talent-driven home for writers, directors and producers.
• The First Feature Programme
• Aimed to identify and support emerging filmmakers who had not yet made, released, or broadcasted a feature film
• Awards were made up to 25,000
• The Feature Film Development Programme
• Funded programme for producers, production companies and filmmakers with a demonstrable track record of success in either feature filmmaking or in production in the audio-visual arena, looking for financing and funding partnerships.
• This fund offered Signature Awards to help further encourage ambitious and original filmmakers and projects.
• Such films funded by this scheme include:
• Bright Star by Jane Campion
• Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold (Oscar-winning filmmaker)
• In The Loop by Armando Iannucci
• Nowhere Boy written by Matt Greenhalgh

• The New Cinema Fund
• Supported emerging talent and established filmmakers, focusing on the most gifted and most innovative writing directors, who worked outside the mainstream.
• Over three years, this fund had 15 million of Lottery money to invest, and funded eight to ten feature films each year.
• Ethnic minority filmmakers from nations and regions such as black and Asian, were committed too by this fund, and supported their work. They encouraged the use of digital technology in the production, distribution and exhibition of films.
• Supported over 100 short films each year through its short film schemes.
• Four flagship short film schemes operated nationwide: Cinema Extreme, the Completion Fund, The Magic Hour and Blank Slate.
• Remaining short film funding offered by the UK Film Council was administered by the regional screen agencies and the national screen agencies via the Digital Shorts Scheme and Digital Nation.
• Notable films supported by the fund include:
• Adulthood by Noel Clarke
• London to Brighton by Paul Andrew Williams
• Man on Wire by James Marsh
• The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach

• The Premiere Fund
• Invested £8 million of Lottery funding per year into mainstream, commercially-driven films encouraging the involvement of British creative talent. This was done in a range of films to attract audiences the world over.
• Funded films included:
• Happy-Go-Lucky by Mike Leigh
• Triangle by Christopher Smith
• St Trinian’s by Barnaby Thompson
• Faintheart by Vito Rocco

• The Office of the British Film Commissioner
• Worked to ensure that the UK remained an attractive production base for international films.
• Activities included: encouraging and supporting international films being made in the UK; strengthening the UK’s production infrastructure; promoting UK talent and product around the world; working with the UK’s Government to ensure that film friendly policies were in place; and reviewing and developing international co-production treaties, allowing the UK to collaborate with other countries to make films.

• What was the position and role of the BFI prior to the creation of the Film Council?
• The BFI is a charity governed by a Royal Charter.
• It was previously a private company, though it has received public money throughout its history from the Privy Council and Treasury until 1965, and the various culture departments since then.
• The BFI award Lottery funding to film production, distribution, education, audience development and market intelligence and research.
• A strategic plan named Film Forever is to support UK film, throughout 2012-17. The plan covers all activities and is based around three priorities – education and audiences, support for the UK film industry and unlocking film heritage.

·       How has the position and role of the BFI changed since the recent government decision to dismantle the UK Film Council?

• The distribution of Lottery funds to potential filmmakers now lie in the hands of the BFI, since the abolition of the UK Film Council. This cultural body is pulling the money into film and culture.
• Chairman, Greg Dyke, and the BFI themselves, found themselves back in the pre-2000 era of having government funding, rather than in pay to the UKFC.
• The BFI can now concentrate more on their love for film culture, due to having more freedom with their spending.

• What is the role and remit of the BFI?
• The BFI combine cultural, creative and industrial roles, bringing together the BFI National Archive and BFI Reuben Library, film distribution, exhibition and education at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX, publishing and festivals.
• The BFI’s remit was to ‘maintain a national repository of films of permanent value’.
• The BFI outline their am for the film industry – “The BFI aims to support a flourishing film culture and a prosperous film industry by investing in film development, production, talent and skills.”

·       In what respects and to what extent does the UK Film Council continue to exist as an institutional and cultural film body?

• Actors and professionals such as James McAvoy, Pete Postlewaite, Ian Holm and Emily Blunt campaigned against the Council’s abolition.
• The King’s Speech was one of the UKFC’s last films, and was estimated to have cost $15 million to make, and grossed $235 million, besides winning several Academy Awards.
• UKFC invested $1.6 million for a 34% share of net profits, a valuable stake which will pass to the British Film Institute.
• The UKFC’s continues to function, to a certain extent, as much of its responsibilities and actions have been taken over by the BFI. This means that lottery funding is still being given to short and feature filmmakers who need it. Thus cultural aspects of cinema are still being preserved and promoted to cinema audiences.

• What were the Regional Screen Agencies (RSAs) that Film Council funding was delivered through?
• The UK Film council funded nine regional screen agencies through it’s Regional Investment Fund for England. These nine were:
• EM Media
• South West Screen
• Film London
• Screen Yorkshire
• North West Vision and Media
• Screen West Midlands
• Northern Film and Media
• Screen South
• Screen East

• How is funding for shorts handled now by the BFI?
• BFI’s funds for short films run through their new talent network “BFI NET.WORK. This helps new and emerging filmmakers reach their full potential, and has been available since Spring 2014.
• Individuals with a film idea can submit an application online; funding decisions will then be made by the Film Fund as part of the BFI. However, this only applies to feature film at the moment.

·       Has funding and support for shorts altered since the government’s changes to the power structures of the national film agencies?

• Schemes supporting short filmmakers are still available, for example, Screen East’s Digital Shorts Scheme helps support short film. Therefore, regional funding is still available to a certain event.
• As a short filmmaker, what funds could you apply yourself for?
• By searching on websites such as Film Network, I could apply to funding schemes, such as B3 Media: Blank Slate. This offers funding up to £9000), whilst Maya Vision: The Short Film Completion Fund (offers funding up to £50000), and others from the BFI.