United Kingdom Jason Wood
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230 | UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE United Kingdom Jason Wood ollowing the shock announcement in film festivals, film clubs and societies, arts July 2010 that the UK Film Council was centres and regional archives to continue their Fto be abolished, the British Film Institute vital work in delivering film to audiences. At (BFI) duly became the lead body for film in the same time, the fund is designed to give the UK on 1 April 2011. Most of the UK Film organisations stability and continuity during Council’s core functions were transferred, this year of transition; to cope not only with including the distribution of National Lottery challenging finances, but also with structural funding for the development and production change in public funding across film. of new British films, as well as audience development activity through supporting film The Minister for the Creative Industries, Ed distribution and exhibition. Vaizey, sounded a triumphant note: ‘The transfer of UKFC activities has been concluded The BFI also took over responsibility for with no disruption to filmmakers. The BFI the certification of UK films (which enables will be administering British film certification; filmmakers to access the UK film tax relief for taking over as the Lottery distributor; and film production); film education; the Research overseeing a 60 per cent increased share of and Statistics Unit; overseeing support for Lottery proceeds for British films. In retaining film in the English Regions; liaising with the key industry expertise and building on the National Screen Agencies in the devolved wealth of knowledge already in the BFI, the Nations; funding skills development for the future of British film is in safe hands.’ film workforce in partnership with Skillset; and supporting First Light and MEDIA Desk UK. The 1 April date could have been unfortunately The responsibility for oversight of the BFI itself, prophetic, but thankfully the transfer seems previously held by the UK Film Council, has to have proved painless and there are now transferred to the Department for Culture, already signs of a prudent approach to the Media and Sport (DCMS). Also from 1 April, the management of resources and a genuine UK Film Council’s role in encouraging inward commitment to cinema in the UK. Although investment into the UK moved across to Film the UK Film Council grant-in-aid was cut by 50 London, in a public/private partnership with per cent before it transferred to the BFI, the Warner Bros., Pinewood Studios Group, the agreed Lottery funding priorities for distribution Production Guild, UK Screen Association and and exhibition, as outlined in the UK Film others. Council’s three-year plan until 31 March 2012, are to be honoured, with the exception of the To ensure a smooth transition, the BFI Innovation Fund. Funding film development simultaneously announced a new transitional remains a priority, with the Film Fund and Lottery Film Fund to support organisations the Prints and Advertising Fund continuing to across the UK dedicated to delivering audience accept and assess applications for funding, development activities for specialised and with the respective Heads of the funds also British film. The £2million fund will provide continuing to green-light awards to films in transitional financial support for one year, to development, production and distribution. enable bodies such as independent cinemas, Significantly, the BFI increased the Lottery IFG_2012_pages.indb 230 16/1/12 12:24:26 INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE UNITED KINGDOM | 231 fund for film by 20 per cent, from £15million to £18million in 2011/12. With British films such asWuthering Heights, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Shame and Two Years At Sea delivering a strong showing at international film festivals, British film found itself firmly in the spotlight on the world’s stage, precipitating the announcement of fast-tracking support for Britain’s film industry internationally. In recognition of the need for immediate action whilst the industry awaits Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech the Government’s new Film Policy Review and the BFI’s own Forward Plan for Film, the BFI Audience figures would also suggest that on made available funds to promote British film home soil British cinema is indeed in rude and talent internationally, including activity health and that there is cause for industry at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes. Financial optimism. Statistics for UK Box Office results support was also given to the Film London are not published until after this editon of Production Market, which took place at the IFG will have has gone to press but the October’s BFI London Film Festival. Amanda half-year report from the BFI’s Research and Nevill, the CEO of the BFI commented: ‘This Statistic Unit offers encouraging reading. UK is a powerful moment for the British film cinema admissions for the first six months of industry and I want to congratulate our British 2011 were 80.7million, up 0.7 per cent on the film talent who are excelling on the world’s first half of 2010. This represents the second- stage. Ahead of us we have major international highest first half admissions of the last five markets and the awards seasons and it is years. The year began with the release of crucially important that the BFI supports the Tom Hooper’s multi-Academy Award-winning industry now in this transitional period. Going The King’s Speech (mentioned in the 2010 forward we will be developing an international overview), which topped the box office charts strategy as one of the key priorities in the BFI’s for three weeks and remained in the top five year Forward Plan for Film, which launches ten for almost three months. Grossing over next year, informed by the recommendations £45million at the UK box office, a record for from the Review of Film Policy. It’s enormously an independent UK film, this rousing if rather exciting that the BFI will spearhead this new predictable royal drama helped lift admissions phase for British film around the world.’ by almost 16 per cent in February. Ticket sales in March and April were down almost 24 per cent on the same period in 2010, but June admissions saw a marked increase on the equivalent month last year, when the World Cup had a major impact on release schedules and box office. Average weekly admissions were three million in June, up from two million in 2010. In terms of predicting the remainder of the year, admissions at the end of October were up one per cent on the previous year and November looks set to better it too. According to Sean Perkins, Acting Head of Research and Statistics Unit at the British Film Institute, ‘I’d Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights be very surprised if it didn’t conform to the IFG_2012_pages.indb 231 16/1/12 12:24:27 232 | UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE Taking its four naïve suburban heroes on a Mediterranean jaunt in search of sexual fulfilment (with a few sharp observations about Brits abroad offsetting some of the more bawdy moments), the film doesn’t stray far from the small-screen version, a move which saw an impressive box-office haul of just under £45million (a smidgeon behind The King’s Speech); never did the adage ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ seem so apt. Though directed by a Swede, Tinker Tailor Soldier David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Spy has been warmly embraced as a British success. An intricate, classy and immaculately “plateau” we’ve seen since 2002 – in other designed adaptation of John Le Carré’s much words just one or two per cent up or down on loved espionage thriller, Tomas Alfredson the previous year’. marshals an impressive cast including Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong and Benedict There were numerous other box-office behe- Cumberbatch. Returning to a leading man moths. The concluding part of the Harry role, Gary Oldman excels as George Smiley, Potter franchise, a cash cow Warners Bros. the British intelligence officer brought out of will find difficult to replace (a loss not forced retirement to hunt down a Soviet mole. cushioned by Christopher Nolan’s imminent The film’s current box office stands at over sign-off from Batman with The Dark Knight £13million. The commercial success of the Rises), David Yates’ 3D Harry Potter and other Brit spy filmJohnny English Reborn the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 pleased critics was altogether more predictable and dispiriting. and Potterites alike. There has been much recent debate about a perceived audience loss of appetite for the 3D format (though this year interestingly saw the release of three of the most interesting exponents of the format yet: TT3D Closer to the Edge, Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Pina), but Yates’ final showdown between Potter and the evil Lord Voldermort grossed a staggering £73million. Perhaps more of a bolt from the blue was the popularity of the big screen spin-off of The Inbetweeners. Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Following up a phenomenon like Slumdog Millionaire was always going to be a tall order, but Danny Boyle went about it with quiet assurance with 127 Hours. Featuring a sensational performance from James Franco as Aron Ralston, the hiker forced to amputate his arm to free it from a trapped boulder, the film sustains an impressive tension despite awareness of the outcome. Another Ben Palmer’s The Inbetweeners veteran director returning to the filmmaking IFG_2012_pages.indb 232 16/1/12 12:24:29 INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE UNITED KINGDOM | 233 fray this year, Ken Loach’s Route Irish was a characteristically committed and abrasive affair that nonetheless left a slight feeling of disappointment.