“A lot to welcome but don’t underestimate inward investment’s impact on regional jobs and growth” British Film Commission response to Culture, Media & Sport Committee report
Responding to the Culture, Media & Sport Committee’s ‘British film and high-end television’ Report, published today (Thursday, 10 April), Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission, said:
“There’s a lot to welcome in today’s report, not least the recommendation to increase funding for the UK Global Screen Fund and support for the BFI Certification Unit. But it is essential that the importance of inward investment – to which the SVODs are a key contributor – is not underestimated.
“Inward investment – which reached £4.7bn last year – is the single biggest thing that has boosted growth in our industry and spread those benefits across the UK. Productions like Outlander in Scotland, Young Sherlock in Wales, Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland or Adolescence in Yorkshire have brought jobs to local crews, and spending to local areas. That investment in film and HETV is vital to keep our film and TV industry not just alive but kicking, in an increasingly competitive market. Of course, it should be one component amongst many in a wider UK production ecosystem, but our focus shouldn’t be at the expense of inward investment, and we remain extremely cautious of any measures that risk making us anti-competitive, especially given the current global market turbulence.”
PRODUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES
“The report is also surprisingly silent on the vital importance of production support provided by the BFC and our national and regional partners, truly making the UK the best place in the world in which to produce film and television.”
SKILLS
“In particular, we question the report’s tone regarding streamers’ and studios’ investment into skills training throughout the UK. Far from ‘hiding’ or shirking the need to invest in UK skills, they have been proactive and willing partners in skills training. For example, collectively, the members of the UK Screen Sector Skills Task Force invested over £100m in skills development in 2022 – more than the 1% of production budgets recommended by the BFI Skills Review.
“That’s not to mention substantial additional investments in sustainability measures across productions, and initiatives to broaden inclusivity in our sector.”