BFI CEO Ben Roberts and Working Title producer Tim Bevan praised the confirmation of the Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC), at the opening night of the 68th BFI London Film Festival (LFF, Wednesday, October 9).
“It’s really brilliant news that this morning the government confirmed a game-changing new tax initiative to support British films, which will create so many opportunities for filmmaking and developing talent,” said Roberts in his opening address. “A strong and diverse film culture, including this film festival, needs all the support it can get.”
Roberts also welcomed Lisa Nandy, UK culture secretary under the new Labour government, who attended the LFF opening night and received a round of applause from the audience.
“She has been really clear on her mission to make sure that the benefits of art and culture, the benefits of film are felt by everybody,” said Roberts.
The festival opened with the world premiere of Steve McQueen’s Second World War drama Blitz, produced by Apple Studios and Bevan and Eric Fellner’s Working Title Films with New Regency.
Speaking to Screen on the red carpet before the screening, Bevan praised the low-budget focus of the new tax move. “Given that it’s for a lower-budget sort of movie, it’s a big encouragement for British stories and British films,” said the producer. “The main tax credit is [about] encouraging big films to come and use our facilities and brilliant crews – to use England as a good filmmaking place. [The UK’s film and TV tax reliefs are aimed at stimulating production and investment in all nations and regions of the UK.] This one is specifically about telling British stories. It’s something that hasn’t been so great in recent years.
“Historically England has punched above its weight in terms of making films about England and our culture – which is one of the very pleasing things about [Blitz]. It’s something we need to put some energy into.
“I hope it gets used as much as possible on young people making films for the first or second time, and I hope it promotes a whole new generation of storytelling and filmmaking.”
Roberts also emphasised the BFI’s efforts to diversify the UK film audience, stating that “over 50% of our audience this year are buying tickets for the festival for the first time.” He noted the opening night broadcast across nine cinemas in nine UK cities, the 60 events in the LFF Free programme, and surprised the audience with free copies of BFI magazine Sight & Sound under 300 of the seats in the Royal Festival Hall venue.
Blitz underway
Opening her second LFF as festival director, Kristy Matheson thanked Apple for opening Blitz in London, which she said was “beyond anything I could have hoped for.”
McQueen said he first got the inspiration to do a war film when working as an artist in the Iraq war. Blitz then took shape when he was researching BBC anthology film series Small Axe, and found a photo of a young Black boy at a railway station waiting to be evacuated. “At that moment I knew he was my ‘in’, I wanted to see the war through his eyes,” said the director.
He was joined on stage by his two lead cast, newcomer Elliott Heffernan and Saoirse Ronan. Ronan said her goal was to make the working space “as safe and comfortable as possible so [Elliot] can do the work.”
“He’s probably more mature than I am,” quipped the actress. Eleven-year-old Heffernan noted craft services as his favourite part of his first film experience.
Cast members Harris Dickinson, Stephen Graham, Benjamin Clementine, Erin Kellyman and Paul Weller all walked the red carpet for the film.
Apple will release Blitz in a limited number of UK-Ireland cinemas on November 1, expanding it on November 8 before it goes on the Apple TV+ streaming platform on November 22.
The BFI London Film Festival runs until Sunday, October 20.
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