Over 200 producers call on BBC Film, Film4 to reaffirm commitment to UK independent film sector

Over 200 UK independent producers have signed an open letter addressed to BBC Film and Film4, urging the UK’s leading public service broadcasters (PSBs) to “reaffirm their core responsibility to support UK producers and safeguard the future of the UK independent film industry”.

The letter has been compiled over the last 48 hours by producers’ organisation Producers Anonymous. The group says it was written after “growing alarm” over the backing by BBC Film and Film4 for separate Cannes Competition titles without a UK director or production company: Sentimental Value and The History Of Sound.

Read the letter to BBC Film and Film4 in full; and the latest list of signatories

The letter calls for three points from the PSBs:

• A renewed commitment to projects originated or led by UK producers. This includes supporting UK-based producers even when a film is led by an international producer.
• Transparency in how development and production decisions are made.
• An open consultation with the UK independent production community.

It is addressed primarily to BBC Film and Film4, with a further 17 recipients copied in including the BFI, ITV, British Council Film, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The letter remains open for signatures, here.

Signatories to the letter include Kevin Loader of Free Range Films; Kate Byers of Early Day Films; Rebecca O’Brien of Sixteen Films; David Parfitt of Trademark Films; and Farah Abushwesha of Rocliffe. Roughly 25% of the signatories have signed anonymously.

“Public Service Broadcasters exist to serve and strengthen the UK creative sector. That duty must begin with UK producers, whether the stories are rooted at home or internationally. They can always acquire finished international titles via their acquisitions routes, but when they are involved as producing partners, a UK producer must always be part of the project,” said a Producers Anonymous statement.

“In most countries around the world, if you want support from a PSB, you go through a national producer. It’s a foundational policy. We ask UK PSBs to apply the same principle.”

Ollie Madden, director of Film4, has responded to the letter. “We are highly sympathetic to the pressures facing British independent producers in what is currently a very challenging climate for UK independent film,” said Madden. “Supporting British film and developing UK-based talent is our key priority and deeply embedded in our public service remit. Our commitment to supporting the most distinctive filmmaking voices working in the UK – both new and established – goes hand in hand with maintaining a sustainable independent production economy.”

”In the last five years, Film4 has backed 47 British films – 22 of which were debut features – with a further 7 UK films by British filmmakers earmarked for production this year. Film4 spends a significant portion of its annual budget on talent development, and in this period, we have also funded 30 short films by British filmmaking teams. We are proud that Film4-backed debut British features have been able to celebrate their world premieres at all the major film festivals thus far in 2025.”

“Our decision to back The History Of Sound was a very considered one, building on our relationship with [director] Oliver Hermanus after the success of the BAFTA and Oscar-nominated Living (a UK production), and supporting him on his next project. The History Of Sound does have a UK-based producer – Thérèsa Ryan-van Graan – who is a British national and resides in the UK. We couldn’t be prouder of The History Of Sound, and together with our partners at MUBI and Focus, are very much looking forward to its premiere in Cannes.”

Eva Yates, director of BBC Film, has also commented. “Creating a unique ladder of opportunity for UK filmmakers to launch their careers and grow the scale and ambition of their work is at the core of BBC Film’s priorities as a public service broadcaster,” said Yates. “In the last five years BBC Film has supported 65 films in production, 63 of which were made by UK producers or co-producers. This represents 96.7% of our total feature production activity over that period. To support early careers, we have supported 37 short films from UK filmmakers since 2020.

”Additionally, we have supported 24 UK production companies through the BBC’s small indie fund in the last two years, and we have so far funded the placement of 19 Associate Producers on our productions to help build career pathways for UK producers from underrepresented groups.”

”Three of the four films in Official Selection at Cannes 2025 – Pillion, My Father’s Shadow, Urchin – are from debut UK-based writer/directors and UK producers and all received long-term development support from BBC Film. The fourth, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, is an exceptional film covering themes that will resonate with the BBC’s audiences.”

”We are proud of our support for UK filmmaking that has helped launch some of the most exciting filmmaking voices of recent years, and that we are able to foster international relationships that support culturally urgent work with strong audience appeal for the BBC. We recognise the challenges faced by the UK’s independent producers and welcome open dialogue in service of working together to build a more sustainable and prosperous independent sector in the UK.”

Screen first reported on the topic on Tuesday of this week (April 29), asking BBC Film and Film4 to clarify their involvement in, respectively, Trier’s Sentimental Value and Hermanus’s The History Of Sound, which will both premiere in Cannes’ Competition.

The letter is published in full below, with the latest list of named signatories beneath.

Letter to BBC Film, Film4

Dear BBC Film and Film4,

As independent producers based in the United Kingdom, we are writing to express our collective concern regarding recent funding decisions that appear to conflict with the responsibilities of Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) towards the UK independent film sector.

It has come to our attention, as reported in Screen Daily (“Why BBC Film and Film4 each backed a Cannes Competition film with no UK director or producer”, 29 April 2025) that both Film4 and BBC Film have provided financial backing to two Cannes Competition projects — The History Of Sound and Sentimental Value  — which were developed without a UK director, producer, or any significant UK production involvement. These decisions are particularly troubling given the very limited financial resources available to UK independent film (£11 million for BBC Film, £22.5 million for Film4 annually), and the increasingly precarious state of the independent sector.

While we recognise and value the contributions of international talent and celebrate the global nature of storytelling, we believe that PSBs, particularly those tasked with supporting UK creative industries, must prioritise investment in UK-based producers and creative talent. Even when PSB broadcasters in Europe have budgets that dwarf the modest sums we have available to support UK filmmakers (ARTE France’s overall budget is €140 million annually, with €48 million alone dedicated to documentaries, and Rai Cinema’s budget is around €78 million per year, supporting 50-70 films, to name just two), it is inconceivable for them to support projects without the direct involvement of a national producer or director, despite having far greater resources. These organisations maintain clear protections for national production involvement and we are asking for the same respect and protection for our sector here at home.

Independent producers are struggling to survive in the face of dwindling budgets, rising costs and shrinking funding opportunities, and we believe that the ambition to secure strong works for UK audiences must not come at the expense of nurturing, sustaining and building the UK’s independent production community. While BBC Film and Film4 spokespeople have defended these decisions by referencing the commercial potential of the films and the strategic securing of free-to-air broadcast rights, we believe this approach undermines the cultural and developmental remit that public funds are intended to support.

This lack of UK independent producer involvement is not limited to finished films. We know of development deals being struck directly with writers — including those based in Europe and the United States — without the involvement of UK producers at an early stage. This practice further bypasses the independent producer’s role and the very community you are mandated to support. It also places UK producers at an even greater disadvantage.

Lastly, the lack of a direct response to Screen Daily’s piece by the directors of BBC Film and Film4 is also concerning. Independent producers are expected to operate with transparency and accountability, and we expect the same standards in return. Open dialogue must form the vital bridge between the foundation of public service media and the future of our filmmaking community. We are grateful to Mona Tabbara and Screen Daily for bringing attention to a subject we have been trying to raise for a long time.

At a time when the UK independent sector is under unprecedented pressure, we ask for:

• A renewed commitment to fund projects developed and led by UK producers;
• Transparency around development and funding decisions;
• An open consultation with the UK independent film community that you are mandated to support.

We call on BBC Film and Film4 to demonstrate their commitment to the future of UK film, and to the UK filmmakers who depend on your support and public responsibility.

We look forward to your considered response.

Yours sincerely.

Source：Screen daily