SUBMISSION 40
Memorandum submitted by Piers Haggard
Productions Limited
THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY 2003—ONE
DIRECTOR'S VIEW
I welcome the Committee's inquiry into the British
film industry and apologise that other commitments prevent me
attending the session on 6 May. I would however like to make a
few points on paper, in answer to the questions posed by the Committee.
I have made six feature films over the last
30 years, plus a lot of television programmes, many of which have
won awards. I have also spent many hours of my life working for
a better UK film industry, mainly through the Directors' Guild,
of which I am the Founder. I am currently Co-Chair of the DGGB's
Film Group and Chair of its Negotiating Committee.
1. It is obvious that the Film Industry
makes (or can make) a substantial contribution to the UK economy.
Foreign production brings money and jobs into the country, and
British films which deal with aspects of UK life can be invaluable
in promoting British commerce, culture and values abroad.
2. I believe that the Film Council, with
its training initiatives in cooperation with Skillset, and the
Film Commission, with its improving set of aids to foreign shooting,
are now starting to do a fair job in keeping foreign production
coming to this couuntry. But there is always more to do, and they
must keep up their efforts.
3. I believe that the Government, for its
part, should consider raising tax incentives for production to
the level of Irish and Canadian schemes to add to the attractiveness
of the UK as a place to shoot movies. This would help to diminish
the effect of the strong pound, and other unpredictable factors
over which the Government has no control.
4. The Section 42 Tax Break (sale and leaseback)
needs replacing by measures more appropriate to film needs.
5. However, many of these finance initiatives
are commercially oriented: cultural value is irrelevant to them.
As a result the production of high quality, small budget films
that reflect contemporary British life is spasmodic to say the
least. In this we compare poorly to, say France and Australia,
as we have done for the last 25 years.
6. It is absolutely essential that we preserve
a capacity to make each year a fair number of quality films that
are truly British. The dangers of submersion by ever more formulaic
Hollywood product are more acute than at any previous time.
7. A steady flow of high quality British
movies is impossible without subsidy from public funds. Although
this Government has done much for the film industry, public funding
for the production of films of cultural value remains modest.
It all goes through the Film Council, resulting in a very narrow
range of sources.
8. By far the largest part of the Film Council's
funds available for investment (The Premiere Fund) is required
to be invested in commercially oriented product. Even the New
Cinema fund is inclined towards the projects of producers rather
than directors or writers.
9. I propose that the Film Council should
be required to revive the bfi Production Fund in order
to expand the variety of sources of public funding available to
film makers, and counterbalance the producer oriented empires
of patronage that are now being built up.
10. This revived bfi Production Fund
should be funded by an additional hypothecated grant from the
Government for the purpose.
11. As another source of production finance,
all UK broadcasters should be required to make investments in
genuine British films, in proportion to either their turnover
or audiences. Only the BBC currently makes any contribution in
this respect. ITV Channels and Channel 4, both of whom also have
substantial public service obligations, are guilty of doing very
little.
12. This change would be fiercely resisted
by these broadcasters, but now is the time to bring it into effect,
before a new Broadcasting Bill is passed.
13. Despite remarks above, I believe that
in general the Film Council is doing a good job with its film
investments, and an excellent job in speaking for the industry
to the Government and above all in providing a coherent view of
the present and future shape of the film industry. After the chaos
of the late 1990's this is a blessed relief. I believe the Film
Council's grant should be increased in the next Budget.
14. The most exciting Film Council initiative
(not yet policy) is its approach to the acute problem of distribution.
For years now, small budget UK films which cannot afford a large
advertising spend have failed to be presented to the nation's
movie-goers. By proposing a substantial capital investment in
digital video distribution the Film Council could help establish
a series of low cost, state of the art cinemas around the country,
all contracted to showing a specified number of British films.
15. This policy, if adopted, deserves massive
Government support. If properly managed it could also aid the
struggling UK electronics industry.
16. Hopefully it will also assist the development
of more and stronger UK distribution companies, with commitment
to releasing British films.
In summary, I believe the British Film industry
is a precious resource. I think there are a number of steps the
Government could take to improve its lot, and I urge the Select
Committee to do all it can to promote these steps.
1 May 2003
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