17/01/2006

As expected, the number of feature films made in the UK in 2005 and the total spending on UK-linked films decreased significantly compared to 2004:123 films were made against 133 and total production investment fell from £811.9m (€1.1bn) to £559.5m (€815m). This is 31% less than in 2004 and 51% less than in 2003.
Inward investment from international filmmakers - i.e. films originating overseas but filmed mainly in the UK using UK crews and facilities, including Hollywood productions - were down by 43% to £312m (€454.5m) last year from £549m (€799.8m) in 2004.

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Commenting on the figures published yesterday by the UK Film Council covering films with production budgets of €728,500 and above, British Film Commissioner Steve Norris said: "2005 was always going to be a tough year for production in the UK due to the overhaul of tax incentives for film and a strong British pound against the US dollar. The global marketplace for film production is more competitive than ever before and these factors undoubtedly had an effect on inward investment levels".
"However", he continued, "we should be very happy that UK indigenous films were up with 37% more films produced (37 against 27) and spending 36% higher compared to 2004 (€232.9m against €171.6m), reflecting the outstanding skills and talent in the UK film industry and the entrepreneurial skills of our producers in difficult trading conditions".
Among the films originated in the UK made in 2005 were Anthony Minghella’s Breaking And Entering starring Jude Law and Juliette Binoche, Richard Eyre’s Notes On a Scandal with Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, Andrea Arnold’s Red Road produced by Sigma Filmsin co-production with Zentropa in Denmark, Roger Michell’s Venus starring Peter O’Toole and Vanessa Redgrave and Geoffrey Sax’s Stormbreaker starring Ewan McGregor and Stephen Fry.
Hollywood films that used UK facilities in 2005 include The Da Vinci Code, Children of Men and Basic Instinct 2.