A fund providing cash support for a wide range of film activities has been established by the Film Council. The Regional Investment for Film in England (RIFE) is an annual commitment of £6m for three years, which has been made to encourage the development of film production, screen commissions, cinema exhibition, film training, archives and education. In cash terms, RIFE is set to double investment in regional film funding.
The scheme has been developed following a national consultation between April and September last year, which concluded that an injection of funding administered through a series of regional agencies would be the most effective way to strengthen the growth of the UK film industry at local level. A new devolved framework for regional policy and funding was proposed, to enable the Film Council to work effectively with a range of partners across the English regions. Film Council Chief Executive John Woodward said, ?A central question facing the Film Council and our main partners ? the Arts Council of England, the British Film Institute, the English Regional Arts Boards and the sector?s National Training Organisation, Skillset ? has been how best to balance national strategy with regional aspirations? On a practical level, we realised pretty quickly that only by setting up a devolved framework could the Film Council work effectively with right partners across the English regions. The emphasis was on their strategy and our funding partnership.?
The fund?s official launch last month coincided with the launch of Screen East, one of the first regional agencies to receive funding under the new initiative. Screen East is one of nine regional agencies being established to mirror the areas represented by Regional Development Agencies. In many regions, the new agencies are being modelled along the lines of Scottish Screen, Sgrin and the Northern Ireland Film Commission, but each of the emerging agencies will be distinct, and creating its own three-year business plan based upon the strengths of the regional audio-visual economy and local cultural assets. Each business plan will also act as a prospectus to leverage additional funding from local, regional, national and European partners, including Regional Development Agencies, local authorities and Learning and Skills Councils.
For more information, w: http://www.filmcouncil.org.uk