The most important recommendations to improve the British Film Industry
2. The Panel recommends the BFI should explore with industry partners developing and launching a British film ‘brand’ – raising awareness and expectation – to build a stronger and more compelling proposition for British film at home and abroad. The Panel would like to see the various parts of the UK film industry come together and collaborate in developing and delivering a UK-wide project that celebrates British film across the years; a project that is innovative and makes British films available to all audiences. This initiative might take the form of an annual ‘British film week’ across the UK, possibly supported by an ongoing series of British film days.
13. The Panel recognises that digitisation should be a key tool for increasing access to independent film. It therefore calls on the studios, third party consolidators and exhibitors to find a new Virtual Print Fee model that puts the independent distributor in an economic position which is as good as or better than the 35mm model. This is in accordance with the Panel’s objective of expanding audiences for independent British and specialised films. One option for achieving this might be to encourage a mechanism that gets rid of the repeat fees incurred each time a print moves between cinemas.
16. The Panel therefore recommends that Government introduces legislation that would make it a criminal offence to record films shown in cinemas.
36. The Panel recommends that Government continue to support and prioritise a successful inward investment strategy through an effectively funded British Film Commission, and recognises the importance of such a strategy in bringing structural benefits to the independent UK industry.
44. The Panel recommends that the BFI works with and supports Creative England, the National Screen Agencies, Skillset and others to create a strategy to ensure diverse talent is found, supported and nurtured, outside of London. Ways should be found to help ensure that talented people can work, in a sustainable way, wherever they may wish to locate themselves in the UK.
