BFI awards £26m to new outfit Film Nation UK
BFI chairman Greg Dyke announced on Friday (12 April 2013) that £26m of National Lottery funding will be given to Film Nation UK, to deliver a new education programme. Running over four years, the new organisation aims to provide film education to 5-19 year olds across the UK.
Dyke broke the news at the BFI Southbank, during the premiere of a selection of films from the BFI Film Academy, made by 16-19 year-olds from all over England. After Dyke’s announcement, he welcomed to the stage Eric Fellner, co-chairman of Working Title Films and chair of Film Nation UK.
Fellner, who has produced films such as Love Actually, Hot Fuzz and Les Misérables, said: “We are incredibly excited that we have been awarded the funding to deliver an ambitious and inspiring programme which is of scale, reach and quality. It is a substantial commitment by the BFI to film education and to future generations of young people.”
Film Nation UK will work with First Light and FILMCLUB and will launch with a full board in the autumn, at which point more details about the programme will be announced. What we do know so far is that the film scheme programme will ensure a UK-wide reach will be achieved, thanks to collaboration with the BFI’s strategic partners, Creative Scotland, Creative Skillset, Film Agency Wales and Northern Ireland Screen.
The Knowledge was lucky enough to attend the premiere of the BFI Film Academy residential films, and, if the quality of the films shown is anything to go by, the announcement of the new education programme is great news for young aspiring filmmakers.
