117/09
20
August 2009
Plans to merge the UK Film Council (UKFC) and the British
Film Institute (BFI) into a single body to support film could
benefit both the film-going public and the industry, Film Minister
Siôn Simon said today.
An organisation with both a cultural and economic remit would
mean public support for film is better coordinated, with more of
the available funding channelled directly to frontline services. A
proposed merger, designed to protect the key existing functions of
both the BFI and UKFC while reducing gaps and overlaps, is now
being considered by Government and industry leaders.
Siôn Simon said:
“Film in Britain is highly valued,
both for its tremendous contribution to our cultural life and its
economic success. Thanks to the work of the UK Film Council, as an
industry, it contributes £4.3 billion to our economy, with British
films taking 15% of the global box office last year. And buoyant
attendances show that after more than a century, cinema is still
seen as a great night out.
“The BFI is one of our great cultural institutions and cares for
the world’s most significant archive of film and television. With
audiences growing year by year, the BFI has proven the enormous
public appetite for film heritage and world cinema in Britain.
“Supporting film to help the UK industry reach its international
potential as an art form as well as a business remains a priority
for Government. That’s why we want to look at how best to direct
our support. A new, streamlined single body that represents the
whole of the film sector will offer a better service both for film
makers and film lovers.
“There are practical issues
which we need to resolve to ensure that this proposed merger
brings about the benefits we want without impacting on the work
currently done by the BFI and UKFC. DCMS will now work closely
with both BFI and the UKFC to deliver a better service for
film.”
The overall remit of the BFI and UKFC will not be
reduced. The proposal is for a streamlined organisation, which can
spend more of its money on film and services and less on
infrastructure, and in turn offer better support for Britain’s
film culture and promotion of its film industry. Its remit would
span securing investment across the sector, steering the industry
through the transition to digital, championing the cultural
importance of the UK’s film heritage and guaranteeing that the
full diversity of film culture is available to all.
Tim
Bevan CBE, Chairman of the UK Film Council, said:
“I welcome this idea and I’m keen to work closely with the BFI
and the DCMS over the autumn to make it happen.
“The UK Film Council is a success story, but the truth is that
when we were set up in 2000 a kind of artificial separation
occurred – on the one hand the UKFC, which supports film and the
film industry; on the other the BFI, which celebrates film culture
and cares for our film heritage. And in my opinion it can’t be
right for them to remain disconnected.
"The second reason I want to try to make this work is
completely practical. We know that the climate for public funding
is going to get much tougher, and it’s therefore sensible that we
ask ourselves why there are two publicly funded film organisations
in the UK. We need to look at the scope for savings across the
board, to push as much money as we can into new film activity.”
Greg Dyke, Chair of the BFI, said:
"We view this as an opportunity to build on the
strengths and successes of our work in recent years.
"The BFI is in good shape and having a very
successful year, but we welcome this move if it enables us to
further develop our potential to provide a better service to the
public. The BFI is a much cherished organisation and has a vital
and leading role to play in developing film culture and heritage
in this country.
"We look forward to working with DCMS and the UK
Film Council over the coming months to explore this
opportunity."
A project board, chaired by DCMS and with equal
representatives from the BFI and UKFC will now look at the
proposal to develop a possible new model and governance structure.
While it is expected that the creation of a new body for film,
with a clear line of accountability and a single Board would mean
efficiency savings, the primary objective is to improve the
service to film, by reducing gaps in provision and areas where
activity is currently duplicated by the two bodies. The project
board will consider the practical and legal issues that would need
to be resolved before such a merger could take place. It is
expected to complete this analysis before the end of the year.
Notes to Editors
BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE (www.bfi.org.uk) The British Film
Institute (BFI) has existed since 1933 as the nation’s cultural
organisation for film. It is an independent body with charitable
status and Royal Charter. It cares for the BFI National Archive
and Library. Activities include: BFI Southbank and BFI Imax; BFI
Education; Sight & Sound magazine; BFI Film Distribution;
BFI DVDs; books; BFI London Film Festival;London Lesbian &
Gay Film Festival.The turnover of the BFI is £38 million, of which
£16 million comes from Government as grant-in-aid. UK FILM COUNCIL
(www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk) Since its creation in 2000 the UK Film
Council has backed more than 900 films, shorts and features, which
have won 299 awards and entertained more than 200 million people
around the world.Its support develops new filmmakers, funds
exciting new British films and gets a wider choice of films to
audiences throughout the UK. It also invests in training British
talent, promoting Britain as an international filmmaking location
and raising the profile of British films abroad. In addition, it
funds the British Film Institute.Films backed by the UK Film
Council include Bend it like Beckham,The Constant Gardener,
Gosford Park, Happy-Go-Lucky, In The Loop, Man on Wire,Red Road,
St Trinian’s, This is England, Touching the Void, Vera Drake and
The Wind that Shakes the Barley.Current UK Film Council funding
initiatives include: * the world’s first Digital Screen Network,
which has invested in 240 digital screens in cinemas across the
country, increasing film choice, bringing the 3D experience to a
wider audience, and ensuring the UK has more digital screens than
any other European country; * over 200 film societies and
independent regional film venues;* UK film festivals, including
the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the BFI London Film
Festival and the Sheffield International Documentary Film
Festival;* Skillset, the UK skills and training industry body for
the creative industries; * First Light Movies, which has given
12,000 children and young people the chance to get involved in
filmmaking; and * FILMCLUB, an after school club which gives
children in 7000 schools free weekly access to classic and popular
films.
Contacts:
DCMS Press Enquiries and Out of hours telephone pager
Phone:
020 7211 6263
Mobile: 07699 751153
NDS.DCMS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Sandra McKay
Phone: 020 72116267
sandra.mckay@culture.gsi.gov.uk