Big Movies Boost Film Training Fund

The Skills Investment Fund (SIF) has hit the £4 million mark thanks to contributions from 'Casino Royale' (Sony Pictures), 'Bean 2' (Working Title) and 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' (Warner Bros. Pictures), among others.
All paid the maximum contribution of £39,500 into the training levy on theatrical film production which is collected by Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries, and funds skills and training initiatives across the production industry.
Some 322 productions have now contributed to the SIF since its launch in 1999. Skillset says it has helped pay for over 250 new entrant production trainees; more than 650 bursaries for film practitioners to access their chosen training; and provided subsidised courses, seminars and masterclasses attended by more than 3,500 people from across industry.
Bond Producer Barbara Broccoli said: "The UK film industry has a worldwide reputation for highly skilled crews. Commercially we benefit greatly from this well deserved reputation and to maintain it we must support the workforce and their continual development. The SIF levy is a vital way of doing that, with contributions being invested in the production talent that helps the UK compete globally."
The current voluntary levy is in the process of becoming mandatory with the establishment of the Skillset Film Industry Training Board (SFITB). Skillset says it is working with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to establish the SFITB, which requires an Act of Parliament. It is expected the levy will become mandatory at the end of 2007.
(DS)