Why we should appreciate British Film.

If anyone has followed the UK film council recently they would know they have had a large amount of funding taking away from them from the government.  The future of it was awry for a while, having an organisation there for independent British films was becoming slimmer and slimmer in chance.  The UK Film Council is now being over taken by the British Film Institute, with most the staff who worked for the UKFC moving over to the BFI.

We have some sort of comeuppance then, for now then at least.  We shouldn’t be complacent, we’ve had a hit.   Movie Cake wants to show you why the British Film Industry needs to be appreciated and why it should have decent amount of funding.  

• The recent mass Oscar Winner The Kings Speech.  Funded by the UKFC it swept the Oscars and put British cinema back on the global scale.  Most importantly it showed how capable the British are of producing competitive, intricate, sophisticated and moving film.
  
• 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire swept at the Oscars that year and shows how talented how directors can be (looking at you Danny Boyle, you talented swine).
  
• 7 of the 20 British Films were funded by the UKFC at the Sundance Festival this year.  Having a global audience, a respectable one at that is by no means a laughing matter. 
  
• Film is an artistic expression. Just like theatre, street performance or an artisit in his studio.  Art cannot be created if there isn’t any one to cover basic costs.  Without funding potential Picassos of film could well go unheard.
  
• British films such as Kes, Billy Liar, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, all help reflect sociological implications of Northern England in the 1960s.  What better way to look on our past than having characters we can relate to as well. These films merged society and entertainment.  Gritty Britain was seen, as helped the British people see Gritty Britain.
  
• British films like Dirty Pretty Things and Four Lions help show racial integration.  People in Britain are still racial phobic.  Most unaware what’s across that line of the world of the immigrant, these insightful, and in some cases funny films show the hardships of immigration as well as demonstrating the wryness of British humour.

There’s more to be said.  A lot more.  But looking at these facts it’s clear to see that we have a lot to be thankful for British film.  From being able to bring credibility, profitability, breads actors, directors.  They also allow a social perspective towards our cinema as well as our society.  What is missing from British cinema is support from the people who watch these films.  It isn’t enough to go out and watch them, not anymore.  

Movie Cake suggests you to go out with a speaker phone and shout to your friends and family about the great entertaining and insightful films Britain has to offer.  Then, maybe then we may not need to worry about the life of the British film.  Long live the British reel!

Ben Doran