'New Horizons UK' Five Year Plan for the UK Film Industry 2012 - 2017 A year on from becoming the UK's lead organisation for film, and in response to Lord Smith?s independent Review of Film Policy in January 2012, the British Film Institute (BFI) has published a draft five-year plan for film in the UK. The plan, entitled New Horizons for UK Film, covers the period 2012-2017, and details the BFI?s proposals for a 273 million investment into UK film.
In New Horizons for UK Film, the BFI has outlined a series of proposals designed to build upon and sustain current successes, to tackle head-on some difficult challenges such as boosting the market share of UK films, to put in place longer-term strategies in key areas like skills and training, education and audience development, and to champion creativity and entrepreneurship.
Over the next five years the BFI proposes to focus support on three strategic priorities of equal importance:
Expanding education opportunities and boosting audience choice across the UK by investing in education, learning and audiences.
Supporting the future success of British film by investing in film development, production and skills.
Unlocking film heritage for everyone in the UK to enjoy by investing in preservation, digitisation, interpretation and access.
A Future for British Film
It begins with the audience, published by an independent review panel chaired by Lord Chris Smith, was commissioned in 2011 by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey and has looked at how to ensure film is a sector which plays a full role in driving growth.
The report contains 56 recommendations for the Government, industry and British Film Institute (BFI) which are intended to increase audience choice and grow the demand for British films in the UK and overseas. These recommendations complement policy measures to support the production of British films, helping ensure that those films reach appreciative audiences, stimulating cultural awareness and creativity.
The recommendations include:
A new programme to bring film education into every school, giving every pupil the chance to see, understand and learn about British film.
A call for the major broadcasters to invest more in the screening, acquisition and production of independent British film.
Incentives ensuring a more collaborative approach between producers, directors and distributors which in turn will facilitate financing of projects.
A strong commitment to combat piracy and illegal exploitation of intellectual property.
A scheme to bring digital screens and projectors to village and community halls across the country
An annual celebration, focused on a British Film Week, to re-establish the brand of British film
Stronger investment in training and skills development, especially to seize new technology opportunities.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/
