The British Film Institute (BFI) and France’s National Cinema Centre (CNC) have signed a Moving Image Co-operation Agreement aimed at fostering closer collaboration between the UK and French film industries.
The agreement comes during French President Macron symbolic trip to London in a first state visit for any European leader to the UK since the Brexit.
In spite of close cultural and business ties between the two countries, cooperation between has not always been straightforward due to different financing systems and legislation.
Brexit, which saw the UK quit the European Union and Creative Europe as a result, has also made collaboration harder.
Today’s accord was signed by BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts and CNC’s President Gaëtan Bruel in the presence of French Culture Minister Rachida Dati and UK Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism Chris Bryant.
It remains to see to what the extent the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will bear fruit but in principle it will enable the BFI and the CNC, both founding members of EFAD (European Film Agency Directors Association), to establish a policy of strategic co-operation to enhance cultural diversity, widen audiences and strengthen their respective industries.
Joint areas of activity will include public policy to support film, audiovisual and moving image sector; education, with a focus on providing moving image culture to young audiences; heritage, including restoration, preservation and collaboration on specific projects, and events to facilitate greater business and professional relationships between UK and French companies with a focus on, but not limited to, co-production
The deal also aims to encourage mutual knowledge sharing between BFI and CNC through an employee exchange programme and audience development and support measures for cinemas, festivals and national online platforms with a focus on encouraging UK audiences for French films and vice versa
“France and the United Kingdom are two great film nations, with strong institutions that have a global vision of cinema and a desire to support independent creativity,” said French Culture Minister Dati.
“Today, this issue is directly linked to cultural sovereignty. I am convinced that we can work with the United Kingdom to develop fruitful exchanges in support of independent creativity.”
Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive echoed Dati’s words, describing the UK and France as ”two of Europe’s most dynamic filmmaking nations.”
“We have a long history of collaboration, including through co-production and the distribution and exhibition of each other’s films across all platforms,” he said.
“Co-production is one of the most meaningful ways we can continue this shared exchange – and this initiative of knowledge building and collaboration has been built in that spirit. In the UK we have created the conditions to foster this through the UK Global Screen Fund and carefully designed Audio-Visual Expenditure Credits including the new Independent Film Tax Credit of 40%,” he added.
Their MoU builds follows in the wake of partnership agreements already in place between the British Film Commission and Spain, Italy, Austria, Norway, Malta and the Netherlands. Recent film and HETV productions that filmed or did their VFX work in both territories include: The Amateur, Prime Target, Heads of State, Damsel, The Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power Season 2.
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