Chris Bryant, UK minister for the creative industries, arts and tourism at Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has said he wants to see more Bollywood and Nigerian film production coming to the UK.
Bryant was speaking yesterday (January 28) in front of the parliament’s culture media and sport committee, in the final day of its year-long inquiry into the UK film and high-end TV sector. He wa joined by Alastair Jones, deputy director for the creative industries at the DCMS.
The committee will issue a report with its findings and recommendations from the year-long inquiry in the spring.
While Bryant was keen to express his interest in a healthy homegrown film sector, with “more British independent films made here,” he also wants to see a diversity of inward investment beyond Hollywood.
“I’d quite like a bit more of Bollywood and Nigerian film production to be happening in the UK. We’re the largest film production place in Europe, Spain is second behind us. We want that mixture.”
He later continued: “Nigeria and India are two countries with whom we have very strong historic relations, and good artistic relations, I’d like to build on that in terms of our film industry too.”
Bryant’s priorities also include attracting more confidence from financiers towards the screen industries. “Financiers don’t know how to understand the creative industries and invest…understanding risk in film and high-end TV is a key part of what could transform that,” he said.
When asked by the committee if re-joining Creative Europe after the UK’s Brexit departure was on the cards, as discussed by BFI chief executive Ben Roberts and chair Jay Hunt in their earlier session, Bryant said: “We’re thinking about it. There are arguments in favour and arguments against. There is a cost. We need to assess where we want to go on that.”
When pushed on whether re-joining Creative Europe is on or off the table by committee chair Caroline Dinenage, he said: “I’m not putting it on or off the table… There’s no table to put it on.”
“I think it would be good idea if the government did invest in a table, because it is something the industry does keep coming back to,” responded Dinenage. “The Creative Europe fund is something a lot of people talk about with great pride.”
Tax credits
Bryant is committed to maintaining the UK’s competitive tax incentives, stating: “All tax credits will always have to be kept under review, but we are always committed to them as a process.”
Jones added the industry welcomes “stability and certainty” and “quick administration” with regards to the tax credit system, noting the government has set aside £1.5m extra funding for the BFI certification unit in the coming year.
Bryant said he did not support the idea of adjusting tax incentives for regional uplifts, to encourage production outside of the London area.
“If we make it too complicated, there is a danger it is unusable,” he said. “I’ve come across historically examples of people saying they are based in Wales to meet some kind of quota or other, whereas in actual fact they are based in Highgate and they have a name plate in a village on a door somewhere in Wales. I don’t want to incentivise that. I am a bit sceptical about those kinds of tweaks.”
He was cautious on the subject of tax relief for prints and advertising costs to help distributors connect films with audiences. “I’ve heard the request for it, I’m not the chancellor of the exchequer so I’m not going to be making that commitment today. There are good arguments, there are downsides as well. If you make a film and you can’t distribute it, it is a bit of a problem.”
Jones added: ““The downside is the cost. Does it deliver a benefit greater than the cost? That’s what we’ll always be looking at.”
Bryant also did not get behind the idea that cinemas should do more to prioritise screening UK films. “I’m quite hesitant about telling audiences what they must watch.”
He added a levy on US streamers is also not on the government’s agenda. “I want to avoid too many levies if I possibly can…We haven’t got any plans to go down that route ourselves.”
Bryant did not rule out an adjustment to the tax credit for high-end TV, as advocated for by high-end TV drama producers in previous sessions, Sister’s Jane Featherstone and Bad Wolf’s Jane Tranter, but noted: “If there is evidence, we’ll look at it. At the moment, we’re not looking at changing it.”
BFI funding
Earlier in the day, the BFI heads had highlighted the 2.7% it receives from the National Lottery receipts via good cause funding has not gone up in 25 years. The BFI has an annual income of £127m per year, from a mixture of self-generated funding, lottery money and DCMS grants.
Bryant asked the committee to include in their final recommendations, if the DCMS assured more lottery allocation for the BFI, where they felt that money could come from. “If we were to restructure the good causes from the lottery, and there are arguments for that, the danger is where do you take that money from? Do you take it from Arts Council England? Sport?”
AI
Bryant did not have a clear answer for how the UK would balance the advances of big tech and the needs to make sure creatives rights are protected in the face of AI, however did state he was keen for the UK to keep its approach in line with its international allies. “In the best of all possible worlds, the major economic blocks, the United States, ourselves, Canda, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, at least all proceed together in the same direction.”
The MP for the constituency of Rhondda and Ogmore in Wales also confirmed two books he has written are set to be adapted for film or high-end TV, with Mother Pictures and Pathe, as part of the requirement to declare any potential conflicts of interest. While he did not state which books are to be adapted, his published work focuses on history and politics, with titles including James And John: A True Story Of Prejudice And Murder, Code Of Conduct: Why We Need To Fix Parliament and Entitled: A Critical History Of British Aristocracy.
