The BFI is predicting a new era for film in the UK as it prepares to restructure and reorganise in light of its promotion to the dizzy heights of the leading UK body for film. But what is this new era really going to mean to the quality and diversity of content on our screens?
2010 is all set to prove itself as a bumper year at UK box office, thanks to recession, big blockbusters and 3D. But with Little Fockers currently top of the box office pops after packing away over £3m in ticket sales in its first five days of release in the UK, it feels unlikely that this new era will fuel any real change in the type of content that keeps the cinema near you in the red.
Change however does trickle beneath the frozen waters of Hollywood dominance. Curzon Cinemas has launched Curzon On Demand a service that allows you to view the latest cinema releases from the comfort of your own home. This is a great opportunity for those who can’t reach specialist cinemas such as the Curzon to access the latest independent releases as well as the occasional classic.
And following on from the success of the National Theatre and New York Met, the Bolshoi Ballet now plan to beam four of their performances to 300 cinemas around the world.
But is a new era really coming for the UK film industry, or merely a shift in who gets the cash from the DCMS? Too soon to say. But as 2010 rolls into 2011 it looks likely that hard times will hit us all. This could be good news for a recession friendly industry that provides affordable escape from the harsh realities of being hard up. But in terms of fueling the industry with new talent, fresh ideas, innovative ways of working and stories from around the world, the new era might not bring anything new at all.
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