On 19 July 2021, the UK entered a new phase in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To support businesses through this next phase, the British Film Commission’s ‘Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production’ guidance will continue to provide advice on sensible precautions productions can take to manage risk and support their cast and crew.

Today, the BFC’s ‘Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production‘ (Version 7.0) has been amended to reflect Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.

Adrian Wootton, OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission and Film London, said:
“The BFC’s incredibly rigorous COVID-secure Film and High-End TV production guidance enabled our sector to restart swiftly and safely, and remains in place. It was created in response to industry need. Its practices are now established and followed, and in some cases voluntarily exceeded, by studios and productions who all seek to keep the safety of cast, crew and community at the top of the agenda. It is for this reason that we have produced this revised guidance, and strongly encourage its use while the pandemic is still a threat.”

As previously, the guidance should be considered alongside a production’s own COVID-19 protocols and risk assessment to decide which mitigations are appropriate to adopt. Productions based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales should additionally check for the relevant devolved Government guidance as it may be different to those set out by the UK Government. In addition, productions should always consider whether there are local restrictions in place where they are filming.

In the long term, it is expected that productions will need to take fewer precautions to manage the risk of COVID-19. The BFC will keep its guidance under review and will remove advice once it is safe to do so.

–ENDS–

For further press information, please contact:
Lauren Preteceille, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, British Film Commission
E: lauren.preteceille@britishfilmcommission.org.uk
M: 07778 607 855

Notes to Editors

About the British Film Commission’s ‘Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production’ guidance:

‘Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production’ was originally created in Spring 2020 by the British Film Commission in consultation with crew and crew representatives, industry bodies, unions and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in consultation with UK Government, Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The latest version (Version 7.0) has been amended to reflect Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown. It builds on the ‘Working Safely During Coronavirus’ guidance published by the UK Government, and in some areas advises measures which may go beyond those set out in Government guidance.

View and download latest version of the guidance here.

About the British Film Commission:

The British Film Commission (BFC) is the UK Government’s national organisation responsible for international film and television production in the UK. Funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for International Trade and the BFI, the BFC leads on:

• Maximising and supporting the production of major international feature film and high-end television in the UK;
• Strengthening and promoting the UK’s film and television infrastructure;
• Liaising between the Government and the film and television industry on policy issues that impact on production.

The BFC has industry sponsors who form the membership of the agency’s innovative public/private partnership: Angels Costumes, The Walt Disney Studios, Harbottle & Lewis, HBO, Movie Makers, Netflix, Pinewood Studios, Saffery Champness, Warner Bros., 3 Mills Studios, BBC Studios, DNEG, Elstree Studios, Framestore, MPC, The Bottle Yard Studios and Working Title.

The BFC is the national division of Film London.

www.britishfilmcommission.org.uk
Twitter: @FilmInUK_BFC
Linkedin: British Film Commission

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