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The British Film Year
| Article
# : |
11085 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
3 / 1986 |
1,118 Words |
| Author
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Christopher V. Davies
Christopher V. Davies, a British writer currently living in
the Netherlands, is also a singer and songwriter. |
When Fiona Halton first mooted the idea of a special initiative to revive Britain's ailing film industry she was met with a certain lack of response. Cinema attendance had slumped from 1,200 million in 1953, to 500 million in 1960, to 55 million in 1984, and the distribution and exhibition of films in Britain seemed to be a dying business. Cinema managers hid in their back offices, distributors buried their heads in the bars in the ostrich oasis of London Soho's Wardour Street, and the U.S. majors were considering restricting their releases in the U.K. to video sales.
But Fiona, who left a successful position as a director of the Association of Independent Film Producers, has been compared to Margaret Thatcher in her determination to get things done. "I saw a tremendous gap between the enthusiasm for films and the fact that nobody seemed to go to the cinema," she said. As a result of her efforts she was awarded Britain's Institute of Sales and Marketing Management Award for 1985. "She could have sold us the Eiffel Tower," commented the chairman of the adjudication panel.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ms. Halton was able somehow to sell the idea of having a "British Film Year" (BFY) to the tired and dispirited industry, even though she couldn't get all the support she felt necessary. Just over 1 million pounds was raised, 500,00 pounds from distributors, 325,000 pounds from the Government, and film industry companies and sponsors.
The original purpose of the British Film Year was two-fold: to promote British produced films on the world market and to promote cinema going in Britain. Following the critical, award winning and financial
... (1995 of 6503 Characters)
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