January 8, 1998. Copyright, 1998, Graphic News. All rights reserved

REGIONS SPEARHEAD BRITISH FILM BOOM
By Oliver Burkeman

LONDON, January 10, Graphic News: THE BRITISH film industryÕs extraordinary renaissance is set to continue this year with a crop of new movies evoking life in the countryÕs regions.
Tyneside, the West Country and the highlands of Scotland are among the latest settings for what trade weekly Variety called an ÔastoundingÕ recovery from the Ônear-paralysisÕ of the industry in the early 1990s.
The first of 1998Õs regional offerings opened in the U.K. yesterday [Friday 9]. ÔThe Winter GuestÕ Ð a directorial debut for actor Alan Rickman, starring real-life mother and daughter Phyllida Law and Emma Thompson Ð follows eight villagers in the bleak north of Scotland through a day so cold the sea begins to freeze over.
February 13 sees the release of ÔDowntimeÕ, described as a Ônail-biting thrillerÕ set in a Newcastle tower block. ÔWithnail and IÕ actor Paul McGann plays Rob, an ex-police psychologist who befriends suicidal single mother Chrissy (Susan Lynch). A Ônightmarish roller-coaster rideÕ begins when the two become trapped in the blockÕs burning elevator.
Other British releases tipped by Variety include Shekhar KapurÕs Tudor drama ÔElizabethÕ and Nick HammÕs romantic comedy ÔMartha Ð Meet Frank, Daniel and LaurenceÕ. Both casts feature Joseph Fiennes, brother of ÔEnglish PatientÕ star Ralph.
Cinema is the central plank of Prime Minister Tony BlairÕs cultural policy. The Film Policy Review Committee, established within days of his election in May, is due to release an Action Plan in February detailing plans to stimulate movie exports and double the proportion of domestic audiences watching home-made films from 10 to 20 per cent. The July 1997 Budget granted tax write-offs to all British films costing less than £15 million.
The industry also receives backing from the Media Programme of the European Union, which supported 40 projects last year Ð more than in any other member state.   But there are fears for the longevity of Cool BritanniaÕs cinematic resurgence. In December the Arts Council of England suffered a £1.5m cut to its 1998 budget, with further reductions to come. And industry insiders doubt the commercial viability of some UK movies in America Ð a fear that will be put to the test later this month with the U.S. release of the Spice Girls vehicle ÔSpiceworldÕ. Its many celebrity cameos are almost exclusively British.
Stuart Buchanan, editor of the regional arts newsletter ÔDispatchesÕ, cautions against undue optimism. ÔOf course itÕs refreshing to see the regions being so well represented in successful films,Õ he says, Ôbut I would have to concede that the centre of the British industry is still firmly ensconced in London. The artistry and subject matter may well be regional, but the bulk of the funding will still come from London-based organisations and from sympathetic investors overseas.   ÔWe can only hope the success of films such as ÔThe Full MontyÕ and ÔTwin TownÕ will bring related funding directly back into the region that they celebrate, but I suspect that this may be a case of wishful thinking.Õ
ENDS

Sources: Variety, Department of Culture, Media and Sport (0171 211 6000), EU Media Programme (0171 957 8947)