BFI FOCUSES ON THE FUTURE

 WITH FILM FOREVER: £500 MILLION INVESTED IN UK FILM OVER FIVE YEARS

First new initiatives announced to support new plan

Sheffield – Embargoed until 00.01am Wednesday 3^rd October 2012 The BFI is investing almost £500 million[1]in UK film over the next five years to help drive industry growth, build audiences and a vibrant film culture and sow the seeds of the future in a bold new plan announced today. Film Forever: Supporting UK Film 2012-2017 outlines the BFI’s three key strategic priorities, funded by a combination of Grant in Aid, the BFI’s earned income and National Lottery funding, as:

·         Education and audiences - with an annual investment of £44.2m

·         British film and filmmaking with an investment of £32.3m per year

·         Film heritage with an investment of £9.9m per year

BFI Chair, Greg Dyke said: ‘With film industry growth currently outstripping the economy as a whole, we want to invest to ensure continued success. A central part of Film Forever is to nurture business growth and cultural vibrancy across the whole of the UK, with a particular emphasis outside London. This is a real moment for film and a bold long term vision for the sector and I look forward to us from today turning all the discussion into action.’

BFI CEO, Amanda Nevill said ‘Film Forever is founded on a renewed commitment to the future – the future generation of audiences, the future generation of filmmakers and the opportunities presented by digital technologies. We are investing where we think we can most make a difference, where we see potential for creative excellence and where we can be the supportive catalyst for change, innovation, business growth and jobs.’

Film Forever is a comprehensive five year plan from the BFI and headline announcements made today, including a range of new partnerships with Accenture, Aardman, Samsung Smart TV, The Pinewood Group, with its flagship studios in Buckinghamshire, and BAFTA, for:

Audiences:

·        A real commitment to audiences outside of London with a new UK Audience Network including 8-10 regional hubs

·         Equipping 1000 community venues across the UK

·         Proactively working with BIG Lottery Fund on a joint proposal to build, educate and inspire audiences at community level across the UK.

·         A new partnership with Samsung for a Smart TV app giving exclusive BFI content, including behind the scenes at the BFI London Film Festival. This will be the first of a series of initiatives towards aBFIPlayer.

Education:

·         A new film education offer for every 5-19 year old in the UK, with the potential to reach 8.5 million young people, alongside the new youth film Academy network for 16-19 year olds with initial support from new partnersPinewood Studios and BAFTA

Supporting British Film:

·         More money for the production and development of UK films, rising annually to £24 million by 2017, with new opportunities for filmmakers working in documentary and animation and a greater focus on development

·         A New Talent Network to discover, grow and nurture new voices and stories all over the UK

·         A remodelled P&A (Prints and Advertising) Fund – now the new Distribution Fund -responding to widespread changes within the sector

·         A new International Fund including increased money for the British Film Commission

·         The new BFI Business Development Fund, in partnership with Creative England, strengthens the commitment to industry growth in England by providing seed funding to new businesses

·         A significant commitment to growing  skills with a new BFI Film Skills Fund, working in partnership with Creative Skillset and BIS[2] alongside ensuring the UK’s world leading film schools are supported with a one-off £5 millionin capital funding by 2017

Film Heritage:

·         Ambitious plans to digitise 10 000 films – the BFI 10K - over the next five years to bring our film heritage to new audiences, and a public vote on which those film should be

The plan is the result of 18 months of consultation with the UK and international film industry, cultural organisations, the public and Government, which started with Lord Smith’s independent Film Policy Review.  The BFI’s consultation, garnering almost 1000 official responses, has helped sharpen the BFI’s thinking in the areas of skills and infrastructure, international strategy and diversity. The BFI is launching a UK wide road-show to start implementing the plan across the country, throughout November. The road shows are open to everyone to attend and will visit Glasgow, Derry/Londonderry, Salford, Birmingham, Gateshead, Nottingham, Bristol and Cardiff.

Film Forever is available to download via bfi.org.uk/filmforever

BIG SCREEN ZOMBIES IN WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

Zombie stars from the latest comedy horror movie release ‘Cockneys vs. Zombies’ will rise from the dead and take to the streets once again, this time in a bid to set a new Guinness world record for the most zombies together in one place.

The world record attempt is being organised on 6^th October by Stuart Beare, a Sussex farmer, who hosts the UK’s biggest Halloween event, the Shocktober Fest Scream Park, on his farm near Crawley.

Says Stuart Beare, “We are thrilled to have some of the actors from Cockneys vs. Zombies reprise their roles and join the world record attempt. The American’s love Halloween and the zombie world record has passed from one American city to another in recent years. The current record of 4093 zombies was set in New Jersey on 30 Oct 2010. But the Brits are embracing Halloween too. We have seen visitor numbers to our Shocktober Fest Scream Park Halloween event grow each year with up to 5000 visitors a night. We are hoping to beat the American’s at their own game to set a new zombie world record here in the UK.”

Nothing it seems can put a good zombie down and after being blasted with a shotgun by Alan Ford, mowed down with an Ouzi by Richard Briers, and decapitated by Honour Blackman, the big screen zombies have arisen from the dead once again to join the world record attempt.

Nina Romain, Zombie from Cockney vs. Zombies commented:

‘We had so much fun playing zombies on the set of Cockneys vs. Zombies, it will be great to get back in character to help try and break the world record. When the cast and crew heard about the record attempt we knew we all had to make plans to be at Tully Farm, helping London set the record is what both the cockneys AND zombies would want! ‘

Alan Ford, who plays patriarch Ray McGurie in the movie, will be on hand to assist in the adjudication and hopefully present Stuart Beare with a new World record certificate.

Says Stuart Beare, “This is an opportunity to be part of something amazing and help set a new world record. After the record attempt we’ll be opening the Shocktober Fest Scream Park free to all participating zombies.”

To be part of the zombie world record at the Tulleys Farm Shocktober Fest Scream Park on Saturday 6^th October register online at

www.zombieworldrecord.co.uk.

TED

BACK OFF…A BEAR IS BORN!

ON DVD,  BLU-RAY™ AND DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FROM 26^TH NOVEMBER 2012

All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ Digital Copy

“Will keep you laughing until your ribs crack – 10/10”, Daily Star

“Easily the funniest film of the year – 4 stars”, Daily Mirror

“Ted is fabulously filthy and very, very funny – 4 stars”, The Sun

“Painfully funny and, surprisingly, emotionally heartfelt – 4 stars”, The Times

“A must-see – 4 stars”, Closer

Meet, Ted! The obnoxious and foul-mouthed, you-can’t-help-but-love, teddy bear that pushes all boundaries of adult humour in the year’s most crude, rude and outrageous black comedy, released on DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital Download on 26^th November from Universal Pictures (UK).

Written, directed, produced and lead voiced by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad!), Ted is the latest offering from the master of politically incorrect adult comedy. With his very distinctive adult brand of humour, you’re in for a hilarious ride-of-your-life that features hookers, sexual innuendo and bodily functions by the bucket load!

Follow the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg Entourage, Boogie Nights and The Fighter), a grown man whose lonely childhood wish brought his cherished teddy bear, Ted, to life. Instant mega-stardom and fame ensues for Ted (Seth MacFarlane Family Guy, American Dad) but now, almost 30 years later, the fairy-tale is very much over and the reality of living life with a now cynical, crude and hooker-loving, Ted, is starting to take its toll.

With the love of his life, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis – Family Guy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and That 70s Show), becoming increasingly fed up with the constant presence of Ted, John is faced with a difficult choice. What follows is a dirty-as-hell, laugh-out-loud, adventure that will pit childhood friends against each other as John juggles romance over bromance and struggles to figure out a way to navigate this thing called adulthood.

Miss the funniest and rudest comedy of the year at your peril!

Ted is available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray™ and digital download from 26^h November 2012. All discs include UltraViolet™ Digital Copy

RANDOM HOUSE TO PUBLISH THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SIR DAVID JASON

THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP has acquired world rights in the autobiography of Sir David Jason. The deal was struck between Ben Dunn, Publishing Director of Century and Nick Canham and Meg Poole at The Richard Stone Partnership.

After nearly 50 years in television, Jason will now tell the inside story of how the youngest son of a Billingsgate market porter went on to become one of the most beloved actors of modern times.

Sir David Jason says: “I’m delighted to have found a publisher who shares my ambition for my autobiography. Random House have shown true enthusiasm for this project from day one and I can’t wait to work with Ben and his team.  Over the past 50 years I have had the fortunate experience of working with some of the finest actors and writers in the world. This book will be an opportunity for me to share the journey through my life and career with the people who have been most generous with their support and kindness – the great British public.”

Ben Dunn says: “Like so many millions of Brits, I grew up watching and listening, laughing and crying to David’s on-screen genius; from Del Boy to Dangermouse to Detective Inspector Jack Frost his cannon of work is unsurpassed and I am truly honoured to be publishing a memoir that I have no doubt will be as golden as everything else he’s touched.”

Born in 1940, and after a short stint as a trainee electrician, Jason started his television career in 1964 playing the part of Bert Bradshaw in Crossroads. In 1967 he performed alongside Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin in the television sketch comedy series Do Not Adjust Your Set.  Jason also appeared in a variety of shows in support of stars such as Dick Emery, before his performances caught the attention of Ronnie Barker, who soon became a mentor to Jason.  In 1973 he starred opposite Barker in the classic comedy, Open All Hours. Jason also featured in the legendary BBC sit-com Porridge, again alongside Ronnie Barker.  In 1981 he found his most enduring and popular role, Derek 'Del-Boy' Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, created by the late, great John Sullivan, a series that ran between 1981 and 2003.  In 1992, Jason moved to ITV to star as Detective Inspector Jack Frost, in a role that would continue for 16 years.

David Jason was awarded an OBE in 1993 and a knighthood in 2005, both for services to drama.

Century will publish in hardback in Autumn 2014 with an Arrow paperback the following year.

Century is an imprint of The Random House Group in the UK. Random House is owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA.