London Rocks Manifesto
The posters on this page testify to the many excellent films set or made in London. Few cities boast such a rich film heritage. The British Film Institute (BFI) reports that last year, Londoners went to the cinema 40 million times – the highest figure since 1970s. 70% of all film companies are concentrated in or around the city, generating 79% of the UK’s film industry £1.45 billion turnover. Of the 787 feature films exhibited nationally in cinemas, 197 originated from the UK, including 13.2% independent films. British films had a 46.1% share of the box office.
“We are drifting into the arena of the unwell” (Whitnail & I)
These statistics belie a less optimistic scenario for indie filmmaking in London. US Blockbusters continue to have a stranglehold on the box office, with the top 20% of films accounting for 55% of ticket sales. The BFI (absurdly) qualifies films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic Park and Mission Impossible as co-British productions, thus skewing the statistics. Leading UK ‘independent’ films include works such as Darkest Hour. While set in London and featuring a British cast, it was financed - as is typically the case - by overseas studios.
All things considered, prospects for independent filmmakers in London are tough. But don’t despair! At LONDON ROCKS, we believe we can do something positive to turn things around. To this end, we pledge to:
“We are drifting into the arena of the unwell” (Whitnail & I)
These statistics belie a less optimistic scenario for indie filmmaking in London. US Blockbusters continue to have a stranglehold on the box office, with the top 20% of films accounting for 55% of ticket sales. The BFI (absurdly) qualifies films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic Park and Mission Impossible as co-British productions, thus skewing the statistics. Leading UK ‘independent’ films include works such as Darkest Hour. While set in London and featuring a British cast, it was financed - as is typically the case - by overseas studios.
All things considered, prospects for independent filmmakers in London are tough. But don’t despair! At LONDON ROCKS, we believe we can do something positive to turn things around. To this end, we pledge to:
- Host and promote regular screenings and Q&As with indie film crews
- Enable the independent filmmaking community to connect so as to collaborate on creative projects
- Give recognition to emerging talent (directors, cinematographers, writers, editors, performers, musicians etc.) from all communities, cultures and backgrounds
- Help artists whose work experiments with narrative and form to find an audience
- Challenge the status quo, notably the corporatisation of contemporary visual culture
