A while back I wrote an article about how there were so many great British movies in the last decade that managed to tick all the boxes: Plot, acting, cinematography, box office.
That could all be set to change because the UK Film Council is being scrapped by the Government. Dagnabbit.
I think this could spell really bad news for the British Film Industry. It's not impossible to consistently make great films without funding - but the money and the backing does really help.
Britain has seen so many great directors crop up in the last few years. Some of my favourites are:
Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire)
Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent)
Duncan Jones (Moon)
Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Sherlock Holmes)
These guys all cut their teeth on small projects where they did their best with the funding they had.
There'll still be a dribble of funding for British films from the National Lottery and the like... but with the UK Film Council to be disbanded, I worry that the sunshine days for up and coming Brit film-makers will be over.
It was a nice day until I heard this news. Now it is a sad day.
Please sign this Save the UK Film Council petition if you feel sad too.
Wow - sad news. Hopefully there's some sort of a reprieve, because we all dearly need more directors like Jones, Boyle, and Ritchie.
ReplyDeleteI know - it's just awful and sad, isn't it? I do hope our films don't go from low-budget to no-budget.
ReplyDeleteThere's been a grassroots petition started up so fingers crossed: http://tinyurl.com/saveukfilm