‘Culture’ secretary Jeremy Hunt – living up to rhyming slang -  has announced that the UK Film Council is to be abolished. It is the highest profile name in a list of 55 public bodies that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport wants to cut, merge or “streamline” (The Conservatives have underlined their commitment to £15 million a year of lottery film funding). Funded by the National Lottery, The Film Council was set up by the Labour government ten years ago to develop and promote the British film industry.

To be honest I’ve never been the biggest fan of the UK Film Council, it had it’s problems, but for me the solution should have been to sort out those problems – closure is ridiculous! The body has helped fund 900 films in it’s ten years of existence, these films include Bend It Like Beckham, Bright Star, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, This Is England, The Last King of Scotland and Streetdance 3D. Axing a body that has a 400% return on its investments, employs vast amounts of people, nurtures talent and frankly brings the world some great film is bat sh*t crazy!

Responding to today’s announcement by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of plans to abolish the UK Film Council, Tim Bevan CBE, Chairman of the UK Film Council, has said:

“Abolishing the most successful film support organisation the UK has ever had is a bad decision, imposed without any consultation or evaluation. People will rightly look back on today’s announcement and say it was a big mistake, driven by short-term thinking and political expediency. British film, which is one of the UK’s more successful growth industries, deserves better.

“Our immediate priority now is to press the Government to confirm that the funding levels and core functions that are needed to underpin British film are locked-in, especially at a time when filmmakers and film companies need more support than ever as they make the challenging transition into the digital age. To that end, we will work with the DCMS over the summer to identify how they can guarantee both continuity and safe harbour for British film.”