More money is being made available for public access to film and the safeguarding of the UK’s film heritage following the UK Film Council’s publication of its priorities for the the next three years.

The UKFC’s change of focus is explained in a document titled ’ Film in the Digital Age’ . It sets out the creation of five new funding strands:

UK Film Festivals Fund: £1.5million a year to support film festivals giving better public access to cinema in all its diversity.

UK Digital Film Archives Fund: £1million a year to improve access to the nation’s film heritage.

Partnership Challenge Fund: £1million a year to widen public participation in film, initially with the following priorities

media literacy and film education

cinema capital funding

cinema access and inclusion initiatives

London 2012 Olympic related film initiatives

*Digitisation and Marketing Fund: *£2million a year building on our existing Prints and Advertising Fund wth additional funding focusing on wider theatrical and online distribution of British and specialised film.

Marketing Testing Fund: £1million a year from the existing Premiere Fund will be used to market test British Films. Any British Film will be able to apply for funding not just those supported by the Premier Fund.

For more details, download "Film in the Digital Age ":http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/information/downloads/?subject=60