What makes a film British

A film is British if:

• the movie is financed in Britain
• they have shots which show that the film is set in Britain
• most of the main cast are from Britain
• director and crew are British
• British story and plot
• realistic plot and characters

Review on Media Related Sites

Britfilms

Britfilms is targeted at people new to the filming industry. It site gives valuable information to film makers interested in making a film in the UK, including where they can get funding. They also give out careers advice and outline training courses.

The site features an online data-base of British films (features and shorts) from 1998 onwards. They also have a data-base on British feature film directors, which also include filmographies, biographies and links.

They also give information on over 300 British films currently under production.

The company has a scheme which allows short film makers to show their work in festivals. these films must be under 45 minutes long and be less than a year old.

Two interesting things:

• it supplies a rich source of information I can refer to if i should go into film making

• The site highlights the possibility of getting recognised at an amateur film maker

 [BFI]

BFI (the British Film Institute) promotes the understanding and appreciation of British Film. They run a range of activities and services. They also hold a large collection of film and television, over 1 million titles.  BFI screens over 1,000 films per year and holds the largest screen in England. They hold the annual film festival as well as the lesbian and gay film festival.

The BFI also publish a monthly magazine called sight and sound which reviews a variety of new release, books on film and television and release films and television on DVD/ Blue ray.

They run a series of programs which educate people of a range of ages on film education. They also hold resources online and in print to support film education. Another film information facility they have is the BFI national library, which holds 46,000 books, 5,000 periodical titles and over 2 million newspaper cuttings on film and television. They have an online encyclopedia of British film and television. 

 Two interesting things:

• the educational events offered
• the events to hold which allow people to show their work

[Netribution]

Retribution is similar to a blogging site that allows users to critique British movies and television.  They host various competitions where users can enter in order to meet people who have successful careers in the filming industry.

Two interesting things:

• The site allows normal people to publish their opinion online for others to view

• The interviews they provide on people in the filming industry

[ukfilmcouncil]

The UK film council is a government backed company which ensures that economic, cultural and education aspects of film are represented at home and abroad. They fund a number of third parties across the UK. Their support develops new filmmakers, funds new British films and gets s a wider choice of films to audiences thought the UK. They also invest in the training of people who wish to work in the industry in order to promote Britain as an international filming location.

Two interesting things:

•  The extent at which their funding helps the filming industry
• the opportunities they give to non-mainstream films