UK Film Council and BFI Merger Planned

Film Minister Siôn Simon has announced proposals to merge the UK Film Council and the BFI in an effort to save costs.

The UK Film Council who control public funds into film production and encourage training through Skillset received £24 million from the government in 2007.

£16 million of this was given to the British Film Institute who currently use the funds to protect UK film heritage, operate BFI Southbank and the IMAX cinemas, supervise the National Film Archive and organise the London Film Festival.

A statement from DCMS suggests that the motivation for the merger is to avoid overlap and thereby reduce costs.

The statement read, "The proposal is for a streamlined organisation, which can spend more of its money on film and services and less on infrastructure, and in turn offer better support for Britain's film culture and promotion of its film industry,".

Tim Bevan, chair of the UK Film Council, agreed stating, "We know that the climate for public funding is going to get much tougher, and it's therefore sensible that we ask ourselves why there are two publicly funded film organisations in the UK. We need to look at the scope for savings across the board, to push as much money as we can into new film activity."

Greg Dyke, chair of the BFI, also commented, "The BFI is in good shape and having a very successful year, but we welcome this move if it enables us to further develop our potential to provide a better service to the public,"

Dyke continued. "The BFI is a much cherished organisation and has a vital and leading role to play in developing film culture and heritage in this country."

The merger comes as the Government has recognised that the multi-billion pound arts, media and culture industries will play an increasingly important role in the British economy as other sectors, such as financial services, suffer.

Minister Siôn Simon said, "Film in Britain is highly valued, both for its tremendous contribution to our cultural life and its economic success. Thanks to the work of the UK Film Council, as an industry, it contributes £4.3bn to our economy, with British films taking 15pc of the global box office last year. And buoyant attendances show that after more than a century, cinema is still seen as a great night out,".

He further commented, "Supporting film to help the UK industry reach its international potential as an art form as well as a business remains a priority for Government. That's why we want to look at how best to direct our support."

(Source The Guardian)