Memorandum submitted by the BBC
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The relationship between British broadcasters
and the film industry is symbiotic in terms of sustaining and
developing talent. Broadcasters also play a central role in achieving
exposure for, and fostering an appreciation of, film.
The BBC has three primary reasons for being
in film:
— nurturing British talent;
— supporting creative filmmaking in
Britain; and
— having film as part of the licence
fee payers' portfolio.
Film is important in the BBC's continuous efforts
to develop new British talent, manage and retain established talent,
and encourage top international talent to work with us.
The BBC makes a significant commitment to training
in screen-based skills, both as provider, and through financial
support of other trainers.
The BBC can support films that the market would
be unlikely to invest in, thereby increasing the range and diversity
of British films.
An important part of BBC Films' portfolio is
the creation of British films about Britain made in the UK. Many
of BBC Films' productions are filmed in, and showcase talent from,
the Nations and Regions and increasingly reflect the rich, diverse
and multi-cultural mix of the UK.
The BBC is committed to the production of high
quality British films. To this end BBC Films spends around £10
million per annum. It will continue to make films that take considerable
creative risks but have small financial risk.
BBC Films does not have an exclusive relationship
with any one film distributor. This flexibility gives BBC Films
significant negotiating power to find the best deal for each movie
and just as importantly, to find the most appropriate creative
partner.
BBC Films' main imperative is creative ambition,
cultural diversity and talent development. It is not designed
or likely to generate significant income for the BBC. We aim to
enrich the BBC's portfolio of films for the licence fee payer,
and provide good value for money; we are not simply pursuing commercial
success.
BBC FILMS AND
BRITISH TALENT
BBC Films makes a wide range of critically acclaimed
films that reinforce its commitment to the British Film industry.
Titles include:
Dirty Pretty Things, Sweet Sixteen, Iris,
Billy Elliot, The Mother, Morven Callar, Ratcatcher, Anita &
Me, Mansfield Park, Mrs Brown, Gods & Monsters, Heart of Me,
I Capture the Castle, In This World, Last Resort, Liam, Love is
the Devil, Priest, Wonderland, Conspiracy, Shine, Hideous Kinky,
The Gathering Storm.
It works with the best of British talent. Examples
include:
Starring in recent BBC Films
Kenneth Branagh, Jim Broadbent, Kathy Burke,
Helena Bonham Carter, Billy Connolly, Judi Dench, Albert Finney,
Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Gina McKee, Ian McKellen, Samantha
Morton, Harold Pinter, Lynn Redgrave, Miranda Richardson, Meera
Syal, Julie Walters, Kate Winslet.
Writing Screenplays for recent BBC Films
Roddy Doyle, Lee Hall, Steve Knight, Hanif Kureishi,
Jimmy McGovern, Anthony Minghella, Pawel Pawlikowski, Stephen
Poliakoff , Lynne Ramsay, Meera Syal.
Directors of recent BBC Films
Stephen Daldry, Richard Eyre, Stephen Frears,
Francesca Joseph, Ken Loach, John Madden, Anthony Minghella, Mike
Newell, Stephen Poliakoff, Dominic Savage, Michael Winterbottom.
1. THE ROLE
OF BROADCASTERS
IN THE
BRITISH FILM
INDUSTRY
There are some aspects of the relationship between
British broadcasters and the British film industry which are generic,
rather than tied to an individual broadcaster. We will address
these points before moving on to the specific aspects of the relationship
between the BBC and the industry.
1.1 Film in the UK
Film remains a powerful cultural force in the
world today. Its undiminished popularity in the cinema and the
home means it retains the power to engage, entertain and stimulate.
Broadcasters are an important part of the creative industries
across the UK and wish to see a vibrant film sector that engages
audiences at home and exports UK culture around the world.
The UK market for film is continuing to expand
as film enjoys a renaissance both in the cinema and in the home.
In 2001, the UK had the highest box-office takings in the history
of any European country, with just over £692 million.
1.2 Broadcasters' Role in Film
The broadcasters' support for film goes beyond
the role of developer and producer. Many broadcasters have specialised
film programmes that are important in creating an appetite for,
and an appreciation of film—the BBC's Film 2003 and BBC
Four's support for world cinema are good examples of this.
The broadcasters are key distributors of films
to the home. As well as providing opportunities to view blockbusters,
many films of value and quality that had limited cinema releases
are seen by large audiences when scheduled by the broadcasters.
This mechanism is of particular importance to some small budget
and art house movies that would not otherwise reach a broad audience.
The BBC and other public service broadcasters
can play an important role in finding projects that differ from
the large scale commercial films produced by the major US studios.
The market alone would not support such a diverse range of British
projects (ie Iris, Mrs Brown, Trainspotting,
East is East).
The broadcast licence fees that broadcasters
pay for films in the UK are a critical element within the film
development, production and distribution cycle.
1.3 Broadcasters' Relationship with British
Talent
The film industry benefits from the broadcasters
sustaining the on-and-off-screen talent base with their range
of drama commissioning, keeping a viable pool of UK talent employed.
Maintaining and developing the screen skills
needed to create film in the UK is clearly an important part of
the relationship between the broadcasters and the film industry.
Working with Skillset the broadcasters are closely involved in
addressing the training needs of the whole screen-based sector.
2. THE BBC'S
COMMITMENT TO
FILM
2.1 BBC's involvement in film as a developer
and producer is rooted in its commitment to British talent and
to enhancing the cultural diversity and creative landscape of
the UK. It is important for the BBC to be able to offer film as
an option available to develop and "stretch" talent.
2.2 In supporting quality films that reflect
the diverse and regional make up of the UK, the BBC can provide
a range of films that are unlikely to be produced without BBC
Films' involvement. Some may have significant cultural value,
but limited commercial potential, or they may be a calling card
for important new talent. Good examples of this include Lynne
Ramsay's Ratcatcher and Pawel Pawlikowski's Last Resort.
Projects of this type do not have obvious commercial potential
but what they do have in common is a need for careful nurturing
and development if they are to be successful. Other projects like
Billy Elliot and Iris may not initially have appeared
to be commercially attractive but with the right sort of development
they turned into films which had real international presence.
2.3 BBC Films spends around £10 million
per annum in developing, supporting and producing a wide range
of films (this figure does not include TV productions). Acting
as a producer and facilitator of quality British films allows
the BBC to deliver films that are relevant to UK audiences at
an affordable cost.
2.4 The BBC's reasons for being in film
can therefore be seen to fall into three categories:
— nurturing British talent;
— supporting creative filmmaking in
Britain; and
— having film as part of the licence
fee payers' portfolio.
These fundamental positions will now be explored
in greater depth in the subsequent sections.
3. NURTURING
BRITISH TALENT
Developing, attracting and retaining talent
is a key priority of the BBC. This is manifested in a number of
important areas:
3.1 Developing new directorial talent
BBC Films continues to provide opportunities for
filmmakers to make low-budget features. Examples of this include:
Last Resort (2000), Tomorrow, La Scala (2001), and
Michael Winterbottom's In this World (2002)—which
premiered at this year's Berlin Film Festival winning the major
award, the Golden Bear as the Festival's Best Film. BBC Films'
the Last Resort was quoted in Simon Relph's Film Council
report as a "model" for low-budget film-making, and
won "Most Promising Newcomer" at the BAFTAs. Without
the opportunity to grow new director talent through the nursery
slopes of lower budget films, upcoming stars such as Dominic Savage
and Francesca Joseph might have been lost, as a previous generation
of British directors have left in the past to work in the United
States.
3.2 Supporting established directorial talent
The BBC's ability to support director's aspirations
is a huge asset in retaining them in the UK. It is easy to forget
how many leading directors established their careers at the BBC.
Directors of the calibre of: John Madden, Sam Mendes, Ken Loach,
Stephen Daldry, Shekhar Kapur, Danny Boyle, Richard Eyre, Stephen
Frears, Anthony Minghella, Michael Winterbottom, Roger Michell
and Mike Newell. However, as their careers developed they have,
in the past, often chosen to migrate to the Hollywood studios.
Today, talent is increasingly inclined to develop films with the
BBC allowing them to retain creative independence before approaching
studio/distributors in the US. Consequently, creative control
remains in the UK. BBC Films is currently developing an ambitious,
higher budget film Edge of Darkness in collaboration with
Martin Campbell (the original director of the BBC TV series).
Campbell is an "A-list" director with a strong list
of credits (Goldeneye, Mask of Zorro), who has not
worked on a British production in years.
3.3 Attracting top acting talent
The success of a number of British stars, both
actors and directors has combined to make it a very good moment
for UK talent internationally. In particular, British acting talent
currently has great clout in the US, and through working with
high calibre actors, BBC Films is in a good position to deliver
key projects with proven talent into the US market.
Leading British actors such as Daniel Day-Lewis,
Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Ewan McGregor,
Kate Beckinsale, Miranda Richardson and Catherine Zeta Jones have
become successful international stars. They follow in the footsteps
of an older generation of British talent in Ian McKellen, Albert
Finney, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Kenneth Branagh, Billy Connolly,
Jim Broadbent and Michael Gambon who are now increasingly in demand
in Britain and abroad. By developing scripts with strong "character-driven"
roles, and challenging hand-crafted drama unlikely to be made
in the US—BBC Films is able to retain or bring in top-level
stars. Examples includes, Iris, with Judi Dench and Kate
Winslet and the BBC is currently in production with The Sylvia
Plath Project, the life story of Sylvia Plath, starring Gwyneth
Paltrow and Daniel Craig.
BBC Films retains close links with the independent
sector and with talent who wish to work both on-screen and on
TV. This relationship between TV and Film provides great opportunities
to bring the two media closer together and BBC Films is responsible
for some exceptional and innovative "films for TV".
Recent productions include:
— The Lost Prince, written and
directed by Stephen Poliakoff, starring Michael Gambon and Miranda
Richardson.
— The Gathering Storm, starring
Albert Finney and Vanessa Redgrave.
— Conspiracy, starring Kenneth
Branagh.
— Out of Control, directed by
Dominic Savage.
3.4 UK Writing Talent
BBC Films is working with the best of new and
established UK writing talent, further reinforcing our ties with
the British creative community and providing unique opportunities
to tell British stories to the world. Just this year for instance,
BBC Films won two awards for best original screenplay, Paul Laverty
at Cannes and Steven Knight, from the London Film Critics' Circle
for Dirty Pretty Things. Steven Knight is now much sought
after by the US studios, but will be making his next film Eastern
Promises, with BBC Films.
Steven Moffatt, the writer of the BBC television
comedy series Coupling, has written his first screenplay,
Me Again for BBC Films. This is now in production with
Bruce Willis in the lead. This is a major international film developed
with writing talent nurtured on BBC Television. Of course we continue
to work with established writers such as Stephen Poliakoff and
Roddy Doyle.
3.5 Training Talent
BBC Training and Development is the world's
biggest provider of training to the broadcasting industry. This
training is central to the development and retention of artists
and skills both in broadcasting and film. It is another clear
way in which the BBC supports the creative industries across the
UK. Without this foundation of industry skills many film productions
would not be as attracted to the UK as a potential base.
To put this commitment to screen based training
in context, the BBC in 2001-02, delivered almost 9,500 days of
screen skills training. These courses covered directing, production,
production support and operational and technical skills. Costing
over £4,000,000 almost a third of the spaces on these courses
were taken by non-BBC staff.
The BBC is also strongly committed to training
in the industry beyond its own internal schemes. It contributed
around £1 million to Skillset (the audiovisual industry's
Sector Skills Council), the National Film and Television School,
the Freelance Training Fund, The Actors' Centre and other industry
training initiatives. In addition, the BBC and BBC Films are actively
involved in developing and nurturing new British writing talent
through initiatives, both national and regional, such as The Writers'
Room.
4. SUPPORTING
CREATIVE FILM
MAKING IN
BRITAIN
4.1 Creative Risk Taking
As a result of the way the BBC is funded, BBC
Films is in a unique position to be able to take creative risks.
This means that we can take on and develop projects that may be
difficult to finance from traditional film investment sources.
Dirty Pretty Things, for example, deals with immigration,
the black-market in labour and the underbelly of London—not
obvious commercial material. Yet its backing by BBC Films meant
that a critically successful and powerful drama was an attractive
enough package that Miramax decided to distribute it in a mainstream
cinema release. Last month it won the top award at the Evening
Standard Awards for "Best British Film".
4.2 Reflecting Diversity
The cultural landscape of the UK is changing
and evolving and the BBC is committed to reflecting this by developing
new talent from the UK's multicultural communities, especially
the Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities. Two recent examples
of this commitment can be found in Anita and Me and In
This World. The BBC also developed East is East which
was eventually produced in association with BBC Films and Film
Four.
The BBC is developing schemes across the organisation
to grow and nurture new writing, acting and directing ethnic talent.
A nation-wide short film competition, "Bollywood Shorts",
is looking for British interpretations of Bollywood—original
stories that use, subvert and celebrate the Bollywood genre. Ten
scripts will be developed and five scripts will be taken through
to production and then broadcast on BBC FOUR. Targeted schemes
for different platforms encourage writers to flourish, with mentors
in a supportive professional environment where the focus is on
expanding the current talent base. As a result The Pact,
a two part serial, is in development for BBC ONE; four writers
from a scheme for Black and Asian TV comedy writers are in development;
and a raft of writers have been commissioned in TV series.
A whole new generation of black and Asian actors
and writers are now emerging on the small screen and developing
onto the big screen. Examples include Chiwetel Ejiofor, in Dirty
Pretty Things and Meera Syal, who made her name in the BBC
television series Goodness Gracious Me and is now making
her debut in screen writing with BBC Films' Anita & Me.
We have just completed production of Hanif Kureishi's provocative
new film The Mother, directed by Roger Michell (Notting
Hill) to be released by BBC Films later this year.
4.3 Supporting Regional Production
An important part of BBC Films portfolio is
the creation of British films about Britain made in the UK. With
its presence across the UK, the BBC is in a strong position to
encourage regional voices in the creative community. Many of BBC
Films productions are filmed in, and showcase talent from, the
Nations and Regions of the UK. Mrs Brown, Roddy Doyle's
The Snapper, Morvern Callar, Sweet Sixteen
and Billy Elliot are good examples of this.
The BBC's "Northern Exposure" writing
project nurtures and supports creativity in the regions. Working
across five cities and 14 partner organisations its remit is to
champion talent and diversity, develop new programme ideas and
increase production activity in the North. Over 5,000 writers
have attended BBC events and special screenings, taken part in
targeted competitions, been awarded bursaries and attended workshops
and master classes. Without You, the winning script in
an open competition for Leeds writers, was commissioned and broadcast,
starring Lennie James, on BBC THREE in less than a year.
Furthermore, the BBC is committed to increasing
its already substantial support for regional production. To this
end, we are keen to continue working in partnership with The Film
Council's regional screen bodies and improve our representation
on their boards.
4.4 Promoting film in the UK
The BBC's relationship with film is not exclusively
as a producer and facilitator. It also has a role fostering an
understanding and appreciation of film as a cultural medium. Films
still prove a popular part of our schedules on BBC One and BBC
Two and there are regular strands across the BBC portfolio of
channels. BBC Two, Three and Four are all champions of short film-making
and the BBC sponsors the Bristol Short Filmmaking Festival.
BBC Four is leading the way by providing regular
slots for shorts, foreign language and world cinema films. Its
commitment to international cinema is demonstrated by the recent
announcement of the "BBC Four Film of the Year Award",
for the best foreign language film released in the UK in the preceding
year. The channel also continues to increase its upfront investment
in UK theatrical releases, bearing an "In association with
BBC Four" credit. Examples include The Son, Abouna and
this year's Oscar nominated The Man Without a Past. Without
this support, it is quite possible that these films would not
achieve even a limited cinema release in the UK.
Additionally, the BBC is dedicated to covering
film across all its output:
— BBC One continues its film coverage
with Film 2003 with Jonathan Ross. The channel exclusively presents
the BAFTA film awards and it will of course provide highlights
from The Oscars.
— BBC Two has a weekly look at film
in its Talking Movies programmes. And often reviews film and film
issues in Newsnight Review.
— BBC Three's series "Waiting
for the Whistle" recently premiered three new films,
Dead Casual, The King & Us and Staying Up.
The channel also provides a wide range of popular features plus
cinematic coverage via programmes like Liquid News.
— BBC Four has put international cinema
at the heart of its schedule, with at least one new classic foreign-language
film shown in peak every week, over half of which have been television
premieres. Films have ranged from Mohsen Makhmalbaf's award winning
Kandahar to Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali's 1928 classic
Un Chien Andalou and the forthcoming premiere of Amores
Perros later this year. It also has a dedicated review programme
each week, The DVD Collection. Documentaries about film and film
makers will continue to feature prominently in its programming.
— All of our radio services regularly
cover film as part of their general cultural coverage. In particular,
the daily arts programmes on Radio Three, Night Waves and
Front Row on Radio Four. There are often spontaneous film
reviews across the output, such as Radio Two's Steve Wright in
the Afternoon and Radio Five Live's Mayo programme. Radio One
has a dedicated film reviewer and sees film as a very important
part of its coverage of youth culture. Regular film reviews appear
weekly on the Jo Whiley show.
— Film is one of the mainstays of the
BBC's new media offering. In addition to BBC Films website, the
BBC site dedicated to film at bbc.co.uk/films is one of the most
popular online. It offers information on film making, reviews
on films, interviews, cinema listings and covers many other aspects
of the British and international film industry.
5. BBC FILMS
AS PART
OF THE
LICENCE FEE
PAYERS' PORTFOLIO
The financial commitments and risks that BBC
Films undertakes should be seen within the context of the portfolio
of programmes the BBC offers to the listener and viewer in this
country. As long as film remains a popular part of the modern
schedule, the development, production and acquisition of appropriate
quality films will be important to the viewing public and to the
BBC as a whole.
5.1 Value for Money
Developing the right films can generate excellent
value for money for the BBC. The UK terrestrial rights for major
Hollywood films are very expensive and BBC Films can produce attractive
packages of rights for less. BBC Films' policy is to take great
creative risks but small financial risks and to involve itself
in the early stages of project development. This strategy enables
BBC Films to maximise its rights position without exposing it
to large-scale financial risk. To acquire the UK licence for Pay
TV and Free-to-Air rights for Billy Elliot post release
would have cost the BBC millions of pounds whereas early BBC Films'
investment in development meant we acquired the rights for much
less. The scale of Billy Elliot's financial success surprised
everyone. There is of course, a balance to be struck, between
the small, medium and big budget films to ensure a portfolio approach
that manages commercial risk.
BBC Films can deliver high profile projects
to a worldwide audience that in turn, brings credit back to the
BBC and in doing so maximises the BBC's value to the licence fee
payer. The success of Billy Elliot, Iris and The
Gathering Storm achieved valuable international acclaim for
the BBC. The critical acclaim and positive press coverage from
these awards and projects also benefits the entire British film
community by raising the overall industry profile and acting as
a catalyst for US producers to look at the UK as a credible source
for directing, producing and acting talent.
5.2 Partners and Distribution
Theatrical distribution worldwide is dominated
by the big American studios. For large scale films this is a fact
of life and is unlikely to change. We believe the best approach
is therefore to work closely with leading studios and distributors
but not to employ "exclusive" or "first look"
deals with any one partner. This flexibility enables the BBC to
retain control over the crucial film development process and only
then to choose the appropriate distribution partner for each individual
project.
In the US, we have recently worked effectively
with distribution partners including Sony, Universal, MGM and
Miramax. For theatrical release in the UK we have been even more
selective and often chosen smaller UK distribution partners, such
as Icon, Momentum, and Artificial Eye. A key element in the relationships
with the US studios is the commitment made to marketing the film
both in the UK and worldwide. The investment can be significant
and is a hugely important factor in the commercial and critical
success of any film. Any canny film producer or investor will
therefore consider the marketing skills of their distribution
partner as an essential part of the package.
In any film there are a number of key stakeholders
and BBC Films has over the years developed critical partnerships
with independent producers, studios and producer/distributors.
Recent US partners for instance include Scott Rudin, Sydney Pollack,
and on a regular basis Harvey Weinstein of Miramax.
5.3 UK Independent Producers
A key element of BBC Films' strategy is to work
with the very best of British independent producers. The majority
of our films are developed in close collaboration with these partners
and they are critical to our success. These include Celador Productions,
Fox Productions (Robert Fox), Martin Pope Productions, Revolution
Films, Ruby Films, Sixteen Productions, Talkback Productions,
Tiger Aspect Productions Ltd, Trademark Films and Working Title.
5.4 The Film Council
The Film Council is an important partner for
BBC Films and together we have had considerable success in developing
new talent with lower budget films. The BBC intends to grow and
develop a current initiative between The Film Council and BBC
Two over the next few years. Past films include Tomorrow,
La Scala and This Little Life, both from first time
directors and new projects are in the pipeline.
There does however remain concern that there
is no appropriate theatrical distribution mechanism for riskier,
low budget films. With The Film Council, other broadcasters and
third parties we are interested in exploring potential solutions
to this problem.
6. THE FUTURE
ROLE OF
BBC FILMS
6.1 The film industry worldwide continues
to flourish, driven by new markets and methods of distribution.
Despite the scepticism sometimes expressed, we believe British
talent of all kinds is increasingly in demand on an international
stage.
6.2 In this environment, BBC Films has a
key role to play in supporting British talent and making original
and distinctive films with a broad enough appeal to work for cinema
and television audiences worldwide.
6.3 This opportunity is all the more apparent
in an environment where the US studios dominate and are increasingly
preoccupied with big budget franchises and sequels—blockbusters
like Spiderman, Men in Black and Harry Potter.
Talent too will be looking to alternatives to the big commercial
studios to fill the vacuum for challenging, original, bespoke
films, like The Sylvia Plath Project and Gosford Park.
6.4 For BBC Films it is important to retain
a significant breadth of projects across genre and cost, as well
as regional and cultural diversity. This allows titles to be matched
to the talent, rather than forcing the talent to fit pre-determined
criteria. This portfolio approach works particularly well for
the BBC with its wide range of channels and outlets, as it has
the opportunity to match different films to appropriate audiences.
6.5 With the support of our partners within
the industry, BBC Films has made great progress over the last
few years. We intend to build on that success in the future. The
quotes on the following pages are an indication of the backing
that we already have from across the British film industry.
QUOTES FROM
THE INDUSTRY
"I have worked with the BBC on four different
productions. It is probably true to say that, without the BBC's
involvement and enthusiasm, none of this work would have been
produced. I consider Family to be my best work. Yet I only
wrote it because the BBC invited me to. The great thing about
working with the BBC was the editorial freedom that was given
to me. I was allowed to follow my own instincts, to write what
I wanted and needed to write." Roddy Doyle, writer
"In recent years, BBC Films has consolidated
its position as the epicentre of British film production. By judicious
and ingenious use of their resources, BBC Films has succeeded
in producing a spectacular group of startling and impressive films.
Over the last few years, the British films most admired internationally
have largely been BBC productions.
BBC Films has been particularly successful in
identifying new talent and has made imaginative choices, concentrating
on work of striking originality. A clever balance has been maintained
by producing work which is both challenging and engaging, and
which has succeeded in attracting audiences internationally.
In its collaboration with film-makers, BBC Films
is an exemplary and supportive partner (as is clear from many
long-term relationships they enjoy with the film-making community).
Its contribution to the British film industry has been both seminal
and crucial." Lynda Myles, producer
"At a time when film makers are finding
it increasingly difficult to exert creative ownership over their
work, it is important that there are organisations that still
believe that the essence of filmmaking lies in the creative vision
and free expression by the film makers. BBC is one of the few
remaining organisations that give us hope, and stop us from being
treated merely as guns for hire." Shekhar Kapur, director
"BBC Films is a powerhouse of creativity
and a tremendous source for British Film Makers. The prestige
of the BBC brand carries enormous weight around the world and
gets green lights on the projects that might otherwise be stuck
on amber for ever. The talent and experience of BBC Film people
enables writers such as myself to navigate a path from blank page
to big screen with confidence." Steve Knight, writer
"BBC Film suffers from several major defects.
It doesn't insist on happy endings which contradict the premise.
It doesn't insist on square jawed blond haired protagonists that
overcome every obstacle by physical prowess and intellectual genius—and
always ALONE. It doesn't insist on soppy scores drawing attention
to itself. In fact it doesn't insist . . . maybe that's part of
the secret; giving filmmakers their head and allowing them, at
least a chance, to pursue something original. But by far its biggest
defect, given the dumbdown imperative that pollutes the ozone,
is that there isn't quite enough of BBC Film to go round. There
are fantastically inspiring complex stories out there and many
many ways to tell them . . . I'm relieved BBC Films hasn't lost
its curiosity or appetite. But that needs nourishment if it is
to continue." Paul Laverty, writer
"The BBC has long been at the creative core
of the British film community. BBC Films has demonstrated for
years that it has an unparalleled ability to find and nurture
the best new talent in the UK—and keep it loyally returning,
film after film. At a time when the future of the British film
industry is, as often, uncertain, it's crucial that the BBC remains
invested in our cinematic culture. Without its commitment to the
many voices that make up our society, the landscape of British
film would be a less diverse and interesting place." Kevin
Loader, producer
"Since the demise of Film Four, Granada
Films and Intermedia, BBC Films is really the only place left
in town for anyone trying to make low-budget quality British films
not written by Richard Curtis. My last film, The Mother,
would assuredly not have been made had it not been for the tenacity
and good faith of David Thompson, Tracey Scoffield and Alan Yentob.
Because of its subject matter and my unwillingness to search for
a "big name", no one else in London would touch it.
BBC Films fully deserve their enormous success and pound per frame,
I imagine they are one of the most cost-effective "studios"
in the world. Long may they prosper." Roger Michell, director
"The BBC Films Policy is a crucial element
of the British Film Industry. BBC Films has the ability to develop
original projects that Hollywood Studios would not have the imagination
to support. The majority of the successful British films of the
last 20 years have been fresh surprising stories, with low to
medium sized budgets, which are just the kind of film the BBC
develop and invest in. Without the presence of BBC Films British
cinema will become once again almost totally dependent on the
Americans and consequently films reflecting the diversity of British
society will begin to disappear." Stephen Poliakoff, director
"I think that BBC Films is a unique force
in British filmmaking at the moment. I think that at the heart
of this, is its willingness to take risks and be bold, making
films from good instincts, and providing solid belief in individual
filmmakers—and the way in which they want to make their
films. In my case, it has been the only place, I believe, that
I could have got to make the films that I have, because of all
these reasons; and because of the unique way in which there exists
cross over between Television and Cinema, and the creative, and
exciting edge that that brings. It is a great place for nurturing
new Voices in film-making, and the diversity of its output is
testimony to its achievements." Dominic Savage, director
"The role of BBC Films is integral to the
development and production of socially conscious and politically
aware British films. It is unlikely any other broadcaster would
have nurtured, developed and co-financed Dirty Pretty Things.
The UK film industry will continue to rely upon BBC Films in the
future to ensure the promotion of an indigenous voice both domestically
and internationally." Tracey Seaward, producer
"BBC films have on two occasions given me
the chance to tell the kind of stories that are rarely seen elsewhere
on film and have also given me the confidence and experience to
go on to develop future work. Their commitment to nurturing and
showcasing emerging and sometimes established talent is crucial,
and there are many of us who got our first chance to shine under
their auspices. And they could do more if they had more money,
so how about it?" Meera Syal, writer/actor
|
