The UK Film Council (UKFC) is a government-facilitated group set up with intention of promoting the UK’s film industry. In their own words, the aim of the council is:

To stimulate a competitive, successful and vibrant UK film industry and culture, and to promote the widest possible enjoyment and understanding of cinema throughout the nations and regions of the UK.

The UKFC was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as an agency to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. The UKFC is a private company limited by guarantee and has a board of 15 directors. It can provide some funding thanks to grants from The National Lottery in areas such as feature length production funding, training and regional investment. The UKFC also acts as an advocacy body for the country’s film industry, and in 2004 criticised the BBC for not having done enough for UK film making. [1]

The UKFC also funds the British Film Institute (although this body remains independently governed) and the British Film Commission , which is intended to attract foreign investment into the UK film making business.

In 2005 the UK Film Council awarded a £11.5 million [2] contract to Arts Alliance Digital Cinema to fund the provision of 250 digitally projected screens across the country. The intention is that this will make it easier to show British films in the UK as the distribution will be through electronic means rather than the transfer of physical film reels.

External links

• The UK Film Council Site