Page 6 - 25_Bafta ACADEMY_Fearne Cotton_ok

first person
“I’d like to
see our
money used
to bring
substance,
polish and
depth to the
development
and
execution of movies in this country.”
The woes of Film Four were so well reported in the media in 2002 that some people seem surprised to find we still exist in 2004. But the company’s Lazarus- like re-emergence has perhaps been more of a transformation than resurrection.
We’ve lost weight (Atkins devo- tees would go green at our annu- al budget’s miraculously instant slim-down), changed our outlook on life, and concentrated our efforts on what we do best: sup- porting British talent by filling a key gap in the funding structure while providing careful - and, we hope, caring - input to development.
We have far fewer eggs than the old Film Four, so we have to divide them judiciously between baskets. And, like most of the film industry, we spend much of our time panning for gold among the piles of submissions that give a whole new meaning to the phrase “something for the weekend”.
But what does it mean to be both “Film” and “Four”? How does being attached to a broad- caster affect what we do? Can we, as the Channel 4 motto has it “Do it first, make trouble and inspire change”? Or do these exciting prospects crumble in the face of ticket sales?
Well it certainly means a chal- lenging tension and a clamour of potential voices.
Decisions for a film investor are always characterised by a curious mixture of optimism, enthusiasm and angst. We’re lucky at Film Four in that we can work in almost any partnership combination, so potentially we’re available to support almost any production. I find myself in the peculiar position of having lots of options from which to make a few defining choices.
Should we commission the next Ali G film? Yes, definitely – it would be wonderful to capture some of
4
Photos: Tessa Ross and a scene from Enduring Love
the way back
Tessa Ross on how a slimline Film Four bounced back with its appetite “for commercial films with a unique stamp of creative flair” undiminished
the great comedy talent we have within the Channel behind or in front of the film cameras - and Caroline Leddy, Head of Comedy, is working hard to commission films alongside her television projects.
Should we back sureties with a British “heritage” movie? No to this
one – we need a sense of urgency and contemporaneity to all that we do, so period for us has to have enormous resonance and will always be a rare commitment.
Should we go out on a limb with that young filmmaker whose short created a splash at Cannes