Government to SHUT UK FILM COUNCIL!

Yesterday it was announced that the UK Coalition Government have decided to close the UK Film Council in the next 18 months.  This is devastating news for the UK film industry as the UKFC provide funding and assistance across the industry from Ealing's St Trinian's to a micro-wave first time feature.

In 10 years the UK Film Council funded 900 films which have entertained over 200 million people and helped generate over £700 million.

The UKFC has been criticised in the past for assisting films that have not performed at the box-office but what they have helped happen is to provide jobs to hundreds of people across the industry- regardless if the final film made money or not.

It is a sad day for the British film industry but with enough support we may be able to make a difference.  Social networking groups were set up immediately on Facebook/Twitter/MySpace and countless others.  Please find below links to these groups if you would like to show your support.

UK Filmmakers need to stand up now to make sure that these changes have the possibility of being reversed.

FACEBOOK     GO PETITION     TWITTER

Ok look away now if you don't know how Harry Potter ends..

A brilliant poster for the final two parts of Harry Potter has just gone on-line and poor Hogwarts is not looking good at all.  Assuming this is from the climatic Battle for Hogwarts it looks like the design team have gone all out to reduce the wizarding school to a smoking pile of rubble.  Oh well they've built a new one in Florida- Harry and pals can just go there instead.

Also if you haven't worn out the spacebar on your keyboard re-watching the new HP trailer frame by frame check out this great breakdown done by Empire on each exciting moment from the trailer.

New poster appears for new Woody Allen movie!

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger the latest feature from veteran director Woody Allen which was shot at Ealing Studios,  ALSO stars two of our friends Lucy Punch (St Trinian's) and Antonio Bandaras (The Other Man).  The poster doesn't give much away apart from the stella cast but we're dying to see the movie- it's meant to be a cracker!

John Landis hosts night for Ray Harryhausen at BFI

It was Clash of the Filmmaker Titans at the BFI on Saturday when world renowned directors, visual effects artists and animators turned out to celebrate the 90th birthday of stop-motion genius Ray Harryhausen (Clash of the Titans, Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts).

Lifelong fan John Landis (Director of Burke & Hare) hosted the event to massive acclaim.  Among the audience were Burke & Hare themselves Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis, directors Peter Jackson, Edgar Wright and Terry Gilliam and though not there in person ("because they were too cheap to take the flight" joked Landis) there were video tributes from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and John Lassester, Tim Burton and James Cameron.

Also in attendance were Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park, King Kong star Rick Baker and Caroline Monroe one of the stars of Sinbad.

Photo © Mark Mawston and the BFI
From left to right: Rick Baker, Ken Ralston,  Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, John Landis, Tony Dalton, Peter Jackson ,  Randall Cook, Vanessa Harryhausen, Caroline Monroe and Nick Park.