Accessing finance for film
One of the BFI's policy priorities is fiscal measures, including working with:
- The UK Government and the European Union to ensure effective long-term fiscal measures are in place to support film
- Public and private sector partners to develop an initiative to provide film companies with better access to corporate finance.
Why this is important
In many ways the UK film industry acts as the flagship for the UK's creative industries as it synthesises writing and design, music with images and performance with technical craft, however in doing so it is perhaps the most capital intensive, and therefore capital dependent, means of creative expression. Supporting the creation and growth of competitive businesses, particularly during the changes being driven by digital technology, is an important task for the BFI.
Whilst we invest public money to develop and support film professionals and companies, it is the private sector that drives our industry and largely creates our film culture.
Next steps
All the BFI's funding priorities are regularly reviewed including the supply of finance to film businesses.
Working in partnership with NESTA, the BFI is supporting twelve film businesses as they explore the opportunities in the digital age.
The benefits of the programme will be rolled out to many more film businesses during 2009 and 2010.
The BFI is also supporting an application for funding under BERR's Enterprise Capital Fund programme, which addresses the market weakness in the provision of equity finance to SMEs. If approved, the BFI backed fund is designed to make corporate finance available to independent media businesses, including film, with the capacity for sustained growth.
