BFI launches film crew recruitment plan
The British Film Institute (BFI) has launched a new scheme to help recruit thousands of film crew professionals with the help of £20m of National Lottery investment.
Dubbed Future Film Skills – An Action Plan, the scheme will involve "demystifying" the UK’s production industry, making it easier for people from all backgrounds to develop careers in the business, and creating opportunities for individuals with transferable skillsets.
An estimated 10,000 new production crew will be needed in the UK’s creative industries over the next five years, and the government and the BFI have reached out to the national creative sector to support the new action plan.
“We are on the cusp of a huge opportunity to bring thousands more into this dynamic industry where there is a genuine need for more skilled workers - from hairdressers to accountants, software developers to model makers,” said Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI.
“They also need to learn and develop their skills from the best, so we call upon everyone in the industry to help us make this a reality. This is not a ‘nice to have’ but an ‘urgent must’ if we are to achieve the growth potential for UK film that is in front of us.”
The Future Film Skills initiative launch was supported by James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who has made three Star Wars movies in London in recent years, and is currently working on an officially untitled standalone Han Solo film.
Lucasfilm has employed 28 trainees across departments on the Han Solo project. The majority (75%) are women and nearly half are from Black And Minority Ethnic – or BAME – backgrounds.
“This initiative is meaningful for both Lucasfilm and the film industry at large,” said Kennedy. “Diversity is just as important behind the scenes as it is on the screen. More points of view, more perspectives, and more voices will only make films better.”
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