Protestors To March Against UKFC Closure

COMMENTS (8)

• When will the UKFC realise that this decision is now final and that their job is to make usre the transition is seamless.

  If John Woodward and his die hard cronies really are planning this so-call march – then I hope they are not using the tax payers money to do so.

  One phone call, one email is all it would take for the Gang of Three, Four, Five…Seventy Five to be summarily dismissed without severance.

  Messrs Vaizey, Hunt and the Serious Fraud Squad should look into this.

  All the British industry wants is a safe transition and constructive talks with government ensuire the future of British film

  This is not the way.

  Comment by ukindieprod — Wednesday, 4 August 2010 15:20 UK  Reply to this post

• If the UK Film Council had performed better, it would not be getting shut down. Its films did not make money, nor did they set the world alight with unique creative visions. Instead the UKFC doled out money to an old boys network of tried and tested mediocrities to make insular films that few people wanted to see. It also splashed some cash with the Hollywood studios. No place for that kind of under performance in this harsh economic climate. And with every kid in Britain being born with a gazillion pounds of debt, I really don’t see their march getting much public support. On the ‘Save the UKFC’ Facebook page, one poster implores people to sign the petition so that her brother can keep his job – that pretty much sums up what all this outrage is about. Jobs for a small group of people who cannot survive in the cold, harsh commercial world. This isn’t a zombie movie – when something dies, it should have the decency to keep quiet. UKFC is dead. Move along, nothing to see here people.

  Comment by Fan — Wednesday, 4 August 2010 15:59 UK  Reply to this post

• “I wonder how many of them are friends and family of Film Council employees?”

  All of them, I’d imagine. If anyone wants to start a “filmmakers for the UKFC closure” they’d get a LOT more signatures.

  At the same time as the protest march, it would be great to organize a parade of filmmakers who support the closure — it is a celebration after all. It would be a large, raucous and happy parade.

  Comment by Dave — Wednesday, 4 August 2010 16:46 UK  Reply to this post

• Well maybe they should be more like Hollywood and recycle other people’s ideas for a profit. Hell, if you can’t be original why not just steal?!

  Comment by Wrath of Colin — Wednesday, 4 August 2010 16:50 UK  Reply to this post

• London calling to the far away towns.

  SAVE BRITISH FILM for Richard and Liz.

  Comment by 8movies5plays — Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:37 UK  Reply to this post

• What is needed is to bring back film quotas so that we at the bottom levels have the chance, the slim chance, any chance to get our films into cinemas and our culture heard, what ever the story maybe, and let the audience decide if our films from the UK are good or not, instead distribution is controlled by US studios, who answer to a handfull of venture capital investors, and when they come to the UK, special arangements are made in by the UK FILM COUNCIL to bring in investment,

  we do need the studio pictures to employ people, this is true, but what if we could employ our own people?

  we are holding a series of events on this join the newsletter at http://www.futureartists.co.uk and join us on facebook search for future artists and see twitter, you guessed it futureartists

  12% quotas like spain, france, sweden, finland, denmark and the rest! protect our culture, invest in our creative jobs!

  Mark Ashmore – director of Broken Britain http://www.yourstate.co.uk

  Comment by future artists — Wednesday, 4 August 2010 23:03 UK  Reply to this post

• Is a march a good idea – who knows? Is it an exercise of our democratic right to speak up in the face of an unexplained government decision? Absolutely. Will it ‘cost the tax payer money’? Of course not. Is it about demonstrating that culture and the arts are considered important by the public? Yes. As a young filmmaker who has been supported by the UKFC since my return to the UK from film school in the USA (no crony of Woodward), I feel very strongly about the presence of a national film funding body, and how essential it is that we get it right.

  The decision to axe the UKFC was made without any real justification (the fiscal argument just doesn’t hold – first because, as has been pointed out, the UKFC has been making money for the UK Film Industry – and second because in the last 12 months the UKFC has undergone a restructuring designed to streamline not only its operations but also its outgoings, following a loss of funds due to the Olympics’ need for increased funding) or an explanation of what will be put in its place (and something WILL have to be put in its place). There are so many reasons why this decision was a bad one, and there is no doubt that the reaction of the film industry is directly proportional to this disrespectful move. All of this we know.

  What is unfortunate are the comments that have emerged in response to this situation: that the UKFC doesn’t know what it was doing and ‘deserves’ to be closed. Given that the UKFC’s activities are all a matter of public interest, and therefore available to anyone who wants to know more, I do wish that people would research what it is the UKFC actually do, rather than striking them down because they don’t happen to like some of the films that have been invested in. Especially as many of these films actually have made money and therefore are actually helping the UK Film Industry – which is fulfilling the remit of the UKFC.

  Arguments that the UKFC has failed as there are successful films out there that it DIDN’T invest in are similarly ridiculous. While we are privileged to have a national funding body supporting us, it would be terrible to think that this one body oversaw all of the films made in this country. Distinctly unhealthy.

  But more than the films it invests in, the UKFC does enormous work behind the screens (if you’ll forgive me that) helping young filmmakers develop voices and film festivals survive and bringing little known films to our cinemas and training writers, actors, directors, producers, script supervisors etc. on schemes that give them chances to work on professional sets – all of this is part of the essential work that needs to be supported in order for us to develop, and maintain, a UK film industry.

  Should public bodies be reviewed regularly? Absolutely. Has the UKFC made some decisions in the last 10 years it would now make differently? Of course. Is there room for improvement? Always. But is it helpful to support this aggressive decision by the government by moaning about investments that you disagree with? Not a bit.

  Comment by Hope DL — Thursday, 5 August 2010 10:42 UK  Reply to this post

• Entirely appreciate why the abolition of the UKFC might have people rushing to march on Parliament, and fine if it’s to show their support for a UK film industry plc – not if it’s for the resurrection of the UKFC. Here’s an attempt to consolidate some of the differing views on the subject, and take forward discussions on what might come next http://tl.gd/2ufb4t

  Comment by ukfilmcomment — Thursday, 5 August 2010 18:49 UK  Reply to this post