The UK’s independent film and TV sector has been given a shot in the arm with a £21M ($25M) Global Screen Fund building on the success of a pilot launched during the pandemic.
The Global Screen Fund is split into three strands: International Distribution, International Business Development and International Co-Production, and is intended for film, TV and video games.
It has been forged to help a struggling independent sector, which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unveiling the news with fanfare, the government said the initial £7M ($8.6M) pilot had supported 65 independent productions including the likes of Emma Thompson’s Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and Bait director Mark Jenkin’s Enys Men, which is set to premiere at Cannes.
UK Creative Industries Minister Julia Lopez said: “There is huge global demand for the UK’s world-class screen content and this new funding will help even more films, TV programmes and video games achieve international success. By supporting producers to export their fantastic content we will create jobs and revenue at home and help project the UK’s culture, values and creativity abroad.”
A similar initiative, the £500M ($611M) Film & TV Production Restart Scheme, which was responsible for helping hundreds of TV shows and films into production, closed for applications last month.