I started this week at Conservative Party Conference where I made a speech celebrating the fantastic achievement of our Creative Industries over the last decade. I described how we were in a Golden Age for British Culture and this had been supported by Government action, from tax reliefs to the Covid Recovery Fund. And at the end of that Conference I hurtled down the M6 to make it back from Manchester to the capital in time for the opening of a great celebration of these Creative Industries – the BFILondon Film Festival.
Every year the programme blends big and small, with hits from Cannes and Venice, alongside lesser-known independent premieres and hidden gems. This year is no exception and I saw that first-hand on Wednesday night where the Festival premiered the British director Emerald Fennell’s psychological thriller, Saltburn. A truly original film, with a gripping story featuring all kinds of unexpected twists. It was the perfect curtain raiser for a Festival set to air 252 films, shorts, plus an immersive and VR programme, across 11 nights, from an astonishing 92 countries.
The Festival is really an international celebration of film, hosted in London. But the BFI ensures it’s not just Londoners who get to experience all it has to offer, the whole country can be part of it with cinemas in eight cities across the UK hosting some of the most anticipated films of the year.
The programme reflects so much of what is special about our Creative Industries. Productions; industries which shine a spotlight on the innate creativity we have in this country. Because while British film is famous for its acting talent, a major part of what has drawn some of the biggest studios in the world to our shores over the past decade is the huge range of skills we have behind the camera. Exceptional visual effects companies, fantastic writers and directors, experienced crew and first class film colleges. The LFF is also an incredible platform for British talent – from kickstarting the careers of new filmmakers to bringing in international industry to get UK films shown around the world and fostering collaborations.
This film industry doesn’t just enrich our lives during weeks like this, it propels our economy forward. Made in Britain has become a badge of honour and we’ve witnessed a gold rush for studio space, with £6.27 billion spent on film and high-end television last year alone. This spending supports hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs in all parts of the country, and is part of the reason the biggest companies want to make films in Britain. Netflix has taken over Shepperton Studios and Longcross Studios in Surrey, Disney has locked up Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and Amazon signed a deal earlier this year to lease space at Shepperton for more than a decade.
As a Government we recognise just how important this industry is and why the BFI London Film Festival matters. We backed our studios at every stage of the pandemic, we created conditions for growth through our tax credits scheme and today we have a long term plan in place for our Creative Industries – the Creative Industries Vision.
That Vision is about helping us maximise the potential of the whole industry and as part of it we’re investing £1.7 million in the BFI London Film Festival so that it can continue to be a beacon of creative excellence here in our capital in 2024.This year is the 67th edition of the festival and it has something for everyone – whether you’re watching on the big screen in one of the London venues or around the UK. As our film industry continues to flourish and as companies continue to choose to make the UK their home, I’m certain the BFI London Film Festival will still be brimming with ideas, stories and experiences for years and decades to come.
