London: The UK Film Council and the BBC Two are teaming up to bring seven of Britain's greatest films back to the big screen this summer as new digital presentations. These films will be screened across the country as part of the "The Summer of British Film" season that runs from late July to 11 September 2007.
The seven British films will be released via the UK Film Council's recently launched Digital Screen Network (DSN), in association with distributors Optimum Releasing and Park Circus. The high-quality digital prints of the beautifully restored films will mark the widest nationwide showing of these films since their original cinematic release.
"The Summer Of British Film" on BBC Two is a unique television event celebrating the rich heritage of British film and has at its centrepiece British Film Forever a seven-part primetime series. The series examines film by genre: thriller, romance, social realism, costume drama, horror/fantasy, war and comedy. Following the programme, each week the genre under discussion will be showcased with a classic British film in 136 UK cinemas on Tuesdays from 31 July.
"The Summer of British Film" will kick off with a look at the thriller, represented by Guy Hamilton's 1964 Bond favourite Goldfinger. The following week will feature David Lean's classic romance from 1945, Brief Encounter. John Schlesinger's much-loved Billy Liar (1963) will be the subject of the social realism genre and Laurence Olivier's stirring Henry V has been chosen to represent costume drama. Robin Hardy's perennially creepy The Wicker Man (1973) is the horror/fantasy subject and Michael Anderson's The Dam Busters (1955) ably represents the war film. The final part of the film season will be devoted to comedy as seen in Bruce Robinson's drunken treasure, Withnail and I (1987).
Pete Buckingham, Head of Distribution and Exhibition for the UK Film Council says, "British cinema history has much to offer today's audiences as this unique film and television partnership with the BBC proves. For cinema audiences, digital is the key to making these great British films available across the UK. If it wasn't for digital, audiences wouldn't be able to see these films on release at the cinema and the new high quality digital prints of the films means that movie lovers are in for a real treat."
"We are so pleased that the UK Film Council has joined forces with us to celebrate the riches of British Film this summer, and hope that all the buzz and excitement around the season will encourage people across the country to go out and see these seven great films on the big screen. This is a real chance to remind people of the brilliance of British cinema," added Roly Keating, Controller, BBC Two.
Cinema screening and television transmission dates are as follows:
Summer of British Films - Titles Transmission/ Screening Dates
Goldfinger (thriller)
BBC2 documentary – 9pm Saturday 28 July
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 31 July
Brief Encounter (romance)
BBC2 documentary – 9pm Saturday 4 August
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 7 August
Billy Liar (social realism)
BBC2 documentary – 9pm Saturday 11 August
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 14 August
Henry V (costume drama)
BBC2 documentary - 9pm Saturday 18 August
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 21 August
The Wicker Man (horror & fantasy)
BBC2 documentary – 9pm Saturday 25 August
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 28 August
The Dam Busters (war)
BBC2 documentary – 9pm Saturday 1 September
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 4 September
Withnail and I (comedy)
BBC2 documentary – 9pm Saturday 8 September
DSN screening nationwide Tuesday 11 September
(Film cinema times will be published in local press)
The UK Film Council's Digital Screen Network (DSN) is a unique scheme involving more than 200 cinemas installed with state-of-the-art digital film projectors across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A total of £12 million Lottery money has been invested by the UK Film Council's in setting up the DSN.
In return for the new equipment, the cinemas, which range from smaller art-house cinemas to multiplexes, have committed to screen a greater selection of specialised (ie non-Hollywood), classic, and foreign language movies enabling more people to see critically acclaimed films from Britain and abroad. The introduction of digital distribution means that specialised films can now reach around 30 million people throughout the UK. The Digital Screen Network also offers audiences and local communities a range of other benefits, as cinemas will be encouraged to use the equipment to show films made by local filmmakers, film clubs and schools.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The UK Film Council is the Government-backed strategic agency for film in the UK. We aim to stimulate a successful, vibrant film industry and to promote the widest possible enjoyment and understanding of cinema throughout the UK.
We invest Government grant-in-aid and Lottery money in developing new filmmakers, in funding exciting new British films and in getting a wider choice of films to audiences throughout the UK. We also invest in training, promoting Britain as an international filmmaking location and in raising the profile of British films abroad.
THE DIGITAL SCREEN NETWORK
The Digital Screen Network (DSN) is a key part of the UK Film Council's strategy to broaden the range of films, in particular specialised (or non-mainstream) films, to audiences throughout the UK. The DSN complements other UK Film Council initiatives, such as the Prints and Advertising Fund for specialised films and the social networking film website myfilm.com
Currently, access to specialised film is limited across the UK outside London's West End and some other metropolitan areas. One of the principal reasons is related to with the delivery medium. As with all films, distribution of specialised product is largely via 35mm celluloid prints. Such prints are expensive to produce and a major cost consideration for a distributor in releasing a specialised film: this in turn restricts exhibitors in their ability to build an audience for specialised film.
Digital technology offers a revolutionary solution to this economic constraint as the cost of producing digital copies can offer significant cost savings on striking 35mm prints.
The DSN will facilitate enough of a 'critical mass' in terms of exhibition outlets to ensure specialised product can reach a much wider audience.
The UK Film Council has part-funded the equipping of a 'virtual network' of 240 digital screens comprising all types of cinemas and venues across the UK already offering specialised films. In return, screens commit time to showing specialised programming including foreign language and classic films, educational orientated content, archive material, short films, etc.
One of the key advantages offered by digital technology is increased programming flexibility. Exhibitors (in partnership with distributors) can respond more effectively to the appetites of their audience because the usual need to return the print or move it on to another cinema will no longer exist.
In summary, the DSN provides exhibitors the opportunity to grow their audiences for specialised films with increased programming flexibility and access to a greater range of product. Distributors will be able to release their specialised film more widely at a reduced cost thus freeing up more marketing expenditure and potentially generating improved returns. For audiences, the network will mean greater choice and improved access to a broader range of film.
For further press enquiries please contact:
Tina McFarling
UK Film Council Press Office
T: 020 7861 7900
E: tina.mcfarling@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk
Charles McDonald / Nicki Foster
Premier PR
T: 020 7292 8330
E: charles.mcdonald@premierpr.com
E: nicki.foster@premierpr.com
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