NEW HORIZONS FOR UK FILM

INCREASED INVESTMENT FOR 3 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: EDUCATION & AUDIENCES, FILMMAKING, FILM HERITAGE

8.5 million children to have film education

1000 community centres to be equipped to show films digitally

Production and development funds for British films set to increase by 30% over next 5 years

10,000 British films digitised

A four week consultation opens today around the BFI’s proposals outlined in its five-year Future Plan for Film 2012-17 New Horizons for UK Film. With Lottery funding for film increasing, the draft plan outlines how the BFI proposes to invest an expected total of £273m with an average yearly Lottery investment of £57m a year in film for the next five years. This equates to an average annual investment of £17m for Education and Audiences; £28.2m for supporting British film; £3m for Film Heritage and £1m for Research and Statistics, a £3m contingency and an 8% cost of delivery. The BFI has sets its sights on a new horizon for UK film with bold new proposals that will help the film industry outride the recession and give audiences across the country a better deal and more choice. Underpinning the BFI’s vision is a renewed commitment to the future – future generations of audiences, future generations of filmmaking, new ideas and future opportunities the digital revolution can bring.  A year on from becoming the UK’s lead organisation for film, and in response to Lord Smith’s independent Review of Film Policy in January, the BFI has indentified its future strategic priorities:

Education and Audiences - includes:

• Ensuring every child in the UK aged 5-19 (a potential 8.5million in 23,000 schools) has film and filmmaking as part of their education.
• A UK-wide film academy to spot and nurture the talent of the future giving 16-19-year-olds, regardless of their background or where they live, a unique experience to work with and learn from film professionals.
• A UK wide network of virtual and physical film hubs, probably based at independent cinemas, with links to schools, film societies, film archives, rural and community cinemas.
• Digital equipment installed in up to 1,000 community centres, village halls and other non-theatrical locations across the UK.

Supporting the future success of British film – includes:

• Production and development funds for British films set to increase by 30% over 5 years.
• Launching new talent development centres across the UK for writers, directors and producers in association with our partners
• Helping the UK retain its competitive edge in the industry by equipping up to 5,000 a year of the UK’s work force with new skills via a new film training scheme that includes next generation skills such as special effects and digital production.

Film heritage – includes:

• Working in partnership to unlock the UK’s film heritage for everyone to enjoy by digitising 10,000 British film titles that will transform our understanding of British cinema.

Greg Dyke, Chairman BFI said ‘We have set out a bold, long term vision for film that will genuinely make a difference to education, audiences and filmmakers and support the UK’s growth agenda by boosting jobs and the economy and stimulating inward investment and export. I would like to thank Lord Smith for his thorough Film Policy Review which has spring-boarded the BFI’s own Future Plan for Film.’

Amanda Nevill, Chief BFI said: ‘British creativity and talent is world class and our plan capitalises on that to help drive economic growth in the UK, support jobs and skills and incentivise new thinking and new ideas. But this plan is also about creating a new deal for audiences. This isn’t just about the next five years; long term the BFI wants people to have a lifelong relationship with film, both the next generation of audiences and filmmakers.’  

The BFI will be hosting a series of public consultation events on the proposals set out in New Horizons for Film across the UK at the following locations:

Sheffield - Wednesday 23 May, 13:30-16:00 Showroom, Cinema 2, 15 Paternoster Row, S1 2BX 

Bristol - Thursday 24 May, 13:30-16:00 Watershed, Cinema 1, 1 Canons Road, Harbourside, BS1 5TX

Newcastle - Friday 25 May, 13:00-15:30 Tyneside Cinema, The Roxy, Pilgrim Street, NE1 6QG 

Cardiff - Friday 25 May, 13:30-16:00 Chapter, Cinema 2, Market Road, Canton, CF5 1QE,

Birmingham - Monday 28 May, 13:30-16:00 mac, Cinema, Cannon Hill Park, B12 9QH,

Glasgow - Tuesday 29 May, 13:00-15:30, Glasgow Film Theatre, Cinema 2, 12 Rose Street, G3 6RB

London - Wednesday 30 May, 10:30-12:30, BFI Southbank, NFT3, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT

Manchester - Thursday 31 May, 13:30-16:00 Cornerhouse, Annex, 70 Oxford Street, M1 5NH

Belfast - Friday 1 June, 13:00-15:30 Queen's Film Theatre, Cinema 1, 20 University Square, BT7 1PA

A consultation event aimed at the international film industry will be held at the Cannes Film Festival at the UK Film Centre on Monday 21^st May at 11am -12.30pm.