Statement from the UK Film Council

Monday, 29 November 2010 14:46

From Tim Cagney – Managing Director, UK Film Council

This morning Ed Vaizey, the Minister for Culture, announced his department’s plans for where public funding for UK film will sit in light of the Government’s decision back in July to abolish the UK Film Council. 

The Government has decided to make the British Film Institute the Lottery distributor for film in the UK. All Lottery-funded activity, together with some Grant-in-Aid activity, that has until now resided in the UK Film Council will transfer to the BFI.

Reaffirming its commitment to the current Film Tax Relief, the Government has decided that our inward investment work will transfer to Film London in a public/private partnership with the Production Guild, UK Screen, Pinewood Shepperton Studios and others in the industry.

A number of important areas of film activity which are currently funded by the UK Film Council – including film exports, research, statistics and market intelligence, work on intellectual property and combating film theft, co-production support and diversity initiatives – have not been mentioned in the DCMS announcement today.

Today’s decision comes after more than four months of uncertainty during which everyone at the UK Film Council has maintained a highly professional and business as usual approach. While there are a number of unresolved issues, we will now enter a process of due diligence, working with the relevant organisations on a smooth handover of film functions and expertise, as well as managing the winding down of the organisation.

It’s important to stress two things. First, until the functions that are to be retained are formally handed over to the relevant recipient organisations, we will continue to receive and process applications as normal. Second, all current Lottery activities and schemes will continue through 2011/12 at the BFI.

I want to recognise the outstanding professionalism and commitment to the film industry that the UK Film Council staff have shown throughout this incredibly difficult and uncertain time for us all.

Yours,

Tim Cagney