UK Film: new directions in the glocal era

Abstract

ABSTRACTAs the British Film Institute (BFI) takes over responsibility for film policy and lottery funding from the UK Film Council (UKFC) and the government announces the UK Film Policy Review, this article argues that film policy requires a fundamental change of direction for the twenty-first century. First, it proposes that the concept of a UK film ‘industry’ should be radically redefined in response to the complex and diverse digital production models developing both regionally and globally. Second, that the best way to nurture and promote home-grown talent is through an integrated approach to production, distribution, exhibition and education. Third, public funding for film (other than tax breaks and incentives for incoming production) should be directed away from the mainstream to support public-private sector creative partnerships in the regions, in line with an emerging politics of localism. In an age of cross-border media flows, the article proposes a holistic strategy for UK film based on dispersed creative hubs with global reach, with a much greater role for Creative England than is currently envisaged. Examples in the article are mainly drawn from activities in one of Creative England's newly designated regions (‘the Bristol hub’.