Welcome!
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all settled in with your beverage of choice; I’ve got my trusty cuppa on hand as we delve into the topic of ‘The Impact of Brexit on the UK Film Industry’. Strap in, this is going to be quite the journey!
The Big ‘B’ Word.
So, Brexit. That one word has seemingly dominated conversations for the past few years. The political landscape has perhaps been forever altered. But did you know that Brexit’s waves have rippled into unusual nooks, including our beloved film industry?
I know, I know… you’re probably groaning and thinking, “When will we be able to escape Brexit-related topics?” While I sympathize, as a massive film buff and a UK citizen, I found it incredibly interesting how even this hyper-local change can affect our global cinematic world.
The Nitty-Gritty
Let’s put on our thinking caps and try to unravel this. After the Brexit decision, I remember visiting a film set where I used to work as an extra (freezing my nose off but fun nonetheless!). Everyone was abuzz, anxiously talking about what this meant for them. It’s not just concern for imports and exports; it directly impacts areas such as funding, staffing (with many EU natives working in UK films), and distribution rights to list a few issues.
Funding Woes
While I’m not a cryptocurrency enthusiast, I might as well have been talking about the stock market drop around the extras’ coffee table that day. Historically, UK film industries benefitted from financial support from the EU, such as from the European Regional Development Fund and Creative Europe. This support is no longer a given with the UK outside the EU. As reported by ScreenDaily, the UK film and TV sector loses access to over €1.3bn in EU funding due to Brexit. That’s a scary amount of money to lose, right?
Is There A Silver Lining?
But it’s not all doom and gloom. On the same film set, one of the makeup artists (let’s call her Sarah) was quite optimistic. In her point of view, the change might force the UK to focus on and foster native talent. To quote Sarah, “Maybe the dragons of bureaucracy will finally be slain, who knows?” An interesting if slightly terrifying perspective, don’t you think?
Wrap Up
I will admit, the outcome remains uncertain and the details are still incredibly complex. What I know is that the UK film industry, its artists, professionals, and audiences are resilient and creative. Change forces us to adapt, innovate, and ultimately, tell incredible stories. Despite the ambiguity, I am excited for the narratives that will be born out of these testing times. Until then, pass the popcorn!
If you found this conversation intriguing and want to chat about the other roles Brexit is playing in different sectors, let me know in the comments. We are all here to learn, discuss, and most importantly, to share our love for film.