Fund Backs Independent Brit Films

The UK Film Council’s Prints & Advertising Fund is backing 'Brick Lane', Sarah Gavron’s award-winning feature film debut.
Her adaptation of Monica Ali’s best-seller about a Bangladeshi woman’s experiences in East London is one of the autumn’s critically acclaimed releases.
The film is one of many titles that are backed by the fund, which continues its work to support films that audiences might not otherwise be able to see. This increases viewing choices and enjoyment for UK audiences
Optimum Releasing received £200,000 for Brick Lane, with the release widened to 90 screens using 35mm prints and digital copies. The media campaign was increased to include national media advertising ahead of the film’s mid November release.
Lionsgate Film Distribution received £5,000 for 'Krisztina Goda’s Children of Glory', set for release in 2008, a Hungarian film recounting the events of the 1956 uprising from the perspective of a star water-polo player. The award is planned to facilitate an increased number of bookings.
Dogwoof Pictures received £5,000 for Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack’s 'A Crude Awakening', a highly topical documentary examining the history of the oil industry released on 9 November. Using digital copies, bookings were increased to 20.
Yume Pictures received £5,000 for Rigoberto Castañeda’s 'KM 31', a Mexican horror about a girl investigating how her twin sister fell into a coma on the mysterious Kilometre 31 highway. Bookings are up to 45 via 35mm and digital copies for its 7 December release.
Little Bird received £5,000 for Liz Mermin’s 'Shot in Bombay', a documentary exploring the link between Bollywood and the criminal underworld. The film is released on 18th January 2008 at the ICA which will be followed by a regional tour.
Vertigo Films received £5,000 for David Sington’s 'In the Shadow of the Moon', an examination of the Apollo programme of moon landings. The film was released across the Digital Screen Network on 2 November with another 30 bookings.
Soda Pictures received £5,000 for Matthew Barney’s 'Drawing Restraint 9', part of the Drawing Restraint body of work, a dream-like film starring Barney and singer Bjork as two accidental guests on a surreal whaling ship, released on 28 September. The award boosted bookings by 40 sites through digital copies.
The BFI received £4,194 for its re-release of Terence Fisher’s classic 'Dracula', the Hammer studio's most celebrated film which stars Christopher Lee as the Count and Peter Cushing as the vampire hunter Van Helsing.
The award enabled the BFI to release the film on a one-night only basis across 68 screens nationwide on Halloween using the Digital Screen Network.

P&A Fund Awards:

• Brick Lane - £200,000


• Children of Glory - £5,000


• A Crude Awakening - £5,000


• KM31 - £5,000


• Drawing Restraint 9 - £5,000


• Dracula (1958) - £4,914
  

A list of the UK Film Council’s National Lottery awards can be found on our website:
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk
For more information on the growth in audiences for specialised films see:
www.ukfilmcouncil.org/information
(DS)