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INDUSTRY UK

Britain reacts in shock to UKFC closure

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The British industry’s reaction has largely been that of shock to the Government’s decision to shut down the UK Film Council (read the news).

Lord Puttnam, President, Film Distributors’ Association said, “Today's announcement, which would appear to have come out of the blue, will take some time to digest fully. Over the past decade, the UKFC has been a layer of strategic glue that’s helped bind the many parts of our disparate industry together. On the welcome premise that government and lottery support for film will continue, I look forward to discussing ways in which a new, coherent plan for film can be developed and implemented to benefit audiences throughout the UK.”

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UKFC CEO John Woodward revealed that he had been told “the target is to have the organisation totally closed down with its assets and its remaining operations transferred out by April 2012. That does, at least, give us time to honour our current commitments.”

Harry Brown [+see also:
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director Daniel Barber said, “I think this decision is a retrograde step, but then I think there hasn’t been a great history in this country of helping British filmmakers make films. As an artist, this decision doesn’t fill me with belief that the government is keen to back the UK film industry.”

4.3.2.1. [+see also:
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Producer Damon Bryant said, “Until last Friday, it was hard to make a film in this country. Today, it just got harder.”

Some, like documentary filmmaker Chris Atkins, welcomed the decision, tweeting, “UK FILM COUNCIL ABOLISHED! Fabulous day! I wonder what 70 incompetent overpaid bureaucrats are going to do? I could use a couple of runners. It had far more misses than hits. Funded Sex Lives of Potato Men, U2 3D, 4321, Rolling Stones, St Trinian’s [+see also:
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, I could go on...”.

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