What is the future of British independent film?
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee will question industry figures and public funders of independent film in the second session of its inquiry into British Film and High-End TV.
Meeting details
The first two panels will feature witnesses who will talk to their experiences making TV and films in the UK. In the first panel, the Committee will hear from James Hawes, director of One Life starring Anthony Hopkins, and Vice-Chair of Directors UK. Questions may explore how freelance directors build a career in TV and Film, the impact of US strikes and what can be done to get even more productions filming across the whole of the UK.
In the next panel, the Committee will hear from producer Rebecca O’Brien, whose most recent film with long-time collaborator director Ken Loach, The Old Oak, has been nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 2024 BAFTAs. The Committee are likely to explore the domestic and global appetite for British film, the difficulties of raising finance as a British independent producer and how the Government can support future generations of independent filmmakers.
In the final panel, Members will question two of the three main public funders of independent film: BBC Film and Film4. They may seek to understand whether public funders show enough ambition to support British independent film and the financial pressures facing these funders.