26 July 2010
Last updated at 10:51 ET

The UK Film Council is to be axed as part of a cost-cutting drive by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), it has been announced.

The organisation, founded in 2000, had an annual budget of £15m to invest in British films and employed 75 people.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to establish a “direct and less bureaucratic relationship with the British Film Institute”.

UK Film Council chairman Tim Bevan called it “a bad decision”.

He said the announcement was “imposed without any consultation or evaluation”.

“People will rightly look back on today’s announcement and say it was a big mistake, driven by short-term thinking and political expediency,” he said.

The DCMS said film funding would continue but would be distributed through other bodies.

Current lottery funding for film is £26 million per year. This is expected to increase to £32 million after 2012.

Direct government funding, currently about £25m a year, is being considered as part of the ongoing spending review.

In a statement, the DCMS said it was “clear that culture and creative industries will not be singled out as a soft target, and that the government will champion the value they bring”.

Digital screens

The Film Council was set up by the Labour government to develop and promote the British film industry.

Funded by the National Lottery, it channelled about £160m into more than 900 films over the last 10 years, including Bend It Like Beckham, The Last King of Scotland and Streetdance 3D.

Other initiatives included the Digital Screen Network, which invested in 240 digital cinema screens across the UK – meaning the UK now has more digital cinemas than any other European country.

In a letter to the British film industry, John Woodward, Chief Executive of the Film Council, said he had been informed that “the target is to have the organisation totally closed down with its assets and its remaining operations transferred out by April 2012″.

“That does, at least, give us time to honour our current commitments,” he added.

Mr Hunt said 16 public bodies, including the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) would lose their funding as the government committed to “increasing the transparency and accountability of its public bodies, while at the same time reducing their number and cost”.

“Many of these bodies were set up a considerable length of time ago, and times and demands have changed,” he added.

“The changes I have proposed today would help us deliver fantastic culture, media and sport, while ensuring value for money for the public and transparency about where taxpayers’ money is spent.”

Shadow Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw has accused the government cuts of being “hasty, ill thought-though and incoherent.”

He added: “The UK fllm industry has just had its best year ever, earning millions for our country, but the Government is axing the UK Film Council without saying what or who will do its important work.”

The MLA is also to be wound up by 2012, in order to “focus efforts on front-line, essential services and ensure greater value for money”.

Responding to the announcement, chairman Sir Andrew Motion and chief executive Roy Clare have pledged to “continue to deliver a vibrant and effective expert service for the public who rightly expect excellent, sustainable museums, libraries and record offices in their local neighbourhoods.

“Stormy seas call for cool heads and steady hands,” they added.

25 July 2010
Last updated at 12:12 ET

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called on the BBC to be more open about how much it pays its top stars.

Speaking on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hunt said that the corporation should be clear about how it spends the public’s money.

Earlier this month the BBC Trust said details of star pay would be revealed in bands, but not individual salaries.

Mr Hunt said the public was “genuinely divided” over the issue and needed to make up their own minds.

“The difficulty here is that the public is genuinely divided – some people say ‘why should we pay huge salaries for stars on the BBC when we can see them on ITV?’,” he said.

“Other people say ‘look, one of the reasons I pay my licence fee is I want to see people like Brucie doing Strictly Come Dancing’.

“There is a genuine division there and I think the best way to resolve that is for the BBC to be open about the packages that it pays to celebrities.

“We have learned in government that transparency is the best way to solve a lot of these issues because you are saying to the public ‘look, you’re grown up, you make up your own mind’.”

Mr Hunt said he also wanted to meet BBC director general, Mark Thompson, to discuss the salaries the corporation pays its top executives.

He said while the BBC had made “some steps in the right direction” it needed to show it was on the “same planet as everyone else” when it came to pay for top executives.

The BBC recently announced it would reduce the pay of its top executives and slim down its senior management.

Mr Hunt said: “We will be having discussions over the future of the next licence fee settlement next year in which I will be talking to Mark and the BBC management in a lot of detail.

“I do want the BBC to demonstrate that when it comes to their management pay they are on the same planet as everyone else.

“Because of the economic inheritance that we are facing, government ministers have been careful with every single penny of taxpayers’ money and the BBC does need to show it is careful with every penny of licence fee payers’ money as well.”

Mr Hunt also said the way that the licence fee is collected may have to change to keep up with changes in technology.

He said while the government “accepts the principle of the licence fee… the way we collect it may have to be rethought”.

And he also signalled that the BBC should consider reducing its online activity.

“The web is a very good area where the BBC needs to have clearer red lines on what it will and won’t do.”

Executive pensions

Meanwhile, claims in the Sunday Express that Mr Thompson and the BBC’s executive directors stand to gain from a “secret pension pot” have been denied by the BBC.

The newspaper said a multi-million-pound so-called “slush fund” is for Mr Thompson and eight executive board members while BBC staff are being asked to accept a cap on the amount pensionable salaries of existing members can grow by to 1% a year.

But the BBC said the figures quoted form part of the remuneration for the executive board that is published annually in the BBC’s Annual Report & Accounts.

In a statement the BBC said: “In addition to the changes to the Pension Scheme that the BBC is proposing we are also reviewing all aspects of pension provision, including that for senior managers.

“We will announce these together with any other changes to the proposals after the consultation closes.”

17 July 2010
Last updated at 10:11 ET

The television licence fee could be cut under the government’s public spending austerity drive, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hunt attacked the BBC’s “extraordinary and outrageous” waste.

He said he could “absolutely” see viewers paying less than the current £145.50 after next year’s negotiations between the BBC and the government.

The BBC recently announced plans to cut its top managers’ pay bill.

The aim is to reduce their pay by a quarter over 18 months.

The BBC Trust, which represents licence fee payers and governs the BBC, said that it was operating in a period of “severe austerity”.

Jeremy Hunt said the BBC needed to recognise the “very constrained financial situation” the country is in.

He told the Telegraph the possibility of a reduction in the licence fee was a “discussion that we need to have”.

‘Tough decisions’

The culture secretary said: “The BBC should not interpret the fact that we haven’t said anything about the way licence fee funds are used as an indication that we are happy about it. We will be having very tough discussions.”

The Telegraph reported that a lower levy could be in place for 2012 following next year’s review process.

The culture secretary said the BBC “will have to make tough decisions like everyone else”.

“There are huge numbers of things that need to be changed at the BBC. They need to demonstrate the very constrained financial situation we are now in,” he said.

But shadow culture secretary Ben Bradshaw said: “It’s sensible for the level of the licence fee to reflect economic conditions and people’s incomes and for the BBC to strive for better value for money.

“But this feels like part of a broader anti-BBC agenda.

“Most people value the BBC and Britain’s tradition of public service broadcasting and would not favour damaging or destroying the BBC.”

A Department of Culture spokesman said “no decisions about the level of the licence fee” would be taken ahead of the review process.

“Like all other public organisations, ministers expect the BBC to demonstrate that they are operating efficiently and giving value for money,” he added.

Mr Hunt also revealed plans for the National Audit Office to examine the BBC’s books.

Recent figures showed that BBC Director General Mark Thompson and the Executive Board’s total pay packet had increased.

‘The message’

Total remuneration for the BBC Executive board rose in 2009-10 to £4.769m from £4.601m in 2008/09.

And, overall, the number of BBC staff increased from 17,078 to 17,238.

But BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said the BBC already “seems to have got the message” being spelt out by the culture secretary.

“In recent weeks, it’s proposed a substantial reduction in pensions for many staff, agreed to cut its top managers’ pay bill by a quarter over 18 months, and said it will publish the names of its highest-earning stars,” he said.

Sir Michael Lyons, who chairs the BBC Trust, has outlined plans to cut pay, calling for greater transparency and saying every pound the BBC takes from licence fee-payers must be shown to have been spent well.

In a statement, the BBC Trust said: “The context in which the BBC is now operating is one of severe economic austerity.

“We have said that when we come to the next licence fee negotiations the trust will enter those talks representing licence fee payers’ interests alone, and that we will seek only what is necessary for the BBC to fulfil its public purposes.

“The trust remains focused on the need to secure maximum value for money for licence fee payers.”

The museum says it is grateful to BP for its support

An oil-like substance has been poured around one of the British Museum’s statues by activists urging it to end its sponsorship deal with BP.

The targeted relic, Hoa Hakananai’a, is a giant carving of a human head and torso and is about 1,000 years old.

A group called Culture Beyond Oil carried out the protest. A similar protest targeted Tate Britain in June.

The British Museum said the substance involved was molasses, which had not damaged the Easter Island statue.

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has led to campaigners stepping up their opposition to BP, with protests targeting London institutions backed by the oil company.

‘Tarnished reputations’

Culture Beyond Oil said in a statement that it had chosen the object because it “represents the way in which civilisations once considered invincible can collapse in a short period of time”.

The group said the five activists who took part, their faces clad in black veils, were careful not to pour the “non-toxic” substance on the sculpture, which stands on a plinth as part of the museum’s Living and Dying display.

One of the protesters said: “Institutions such as the British Museum are amongst the most valuable assets that this country has, but their worldwide reputation is being tarnished by the sponsorship deal with BP.”

Last month there was a similar protest at Tate Britain, whose summer party was disrupted when an oil-like substance and feathers were thrown.

The British Museum said: “BP is one of the British Museum’s most long-standing corporate partners, supporting the museum since 1996.

“We are grateful to BP for their ongoing support, which enables us to fulfil our mission of bringing world cultures to global audiences.”

Boyle (second left) said he was “really excited” by his appointment

Oscar-winning film-maker Danny Boyle will be artistic director for the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, organisers have announced.

The Slumdog Millionaire director said he was “honoured” by his appointment.

Boyle said it was a “unique opportunity to contribute to what I’m sure are going to be a fantastic Games.”

Director Stephen Daldry is one of four other “creatives” who will oversee the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ opening and closing ceremonies.

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Beijing 2008 Games designer Mark Fisher, TV director Hamish Hamilton and producer Catherine Ugwu will also be part of the team.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Boyle, who was born and bred in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, said his job was “to provide a thrilling, enthralling, captivating evening.”

“Hopefully it’ll take its place in the list of openings, but it’ll be a new beginning as well.”

Myself and my co-executive producers will ensure there is creative continuity across all four ceremonies, that the public have real engagement and that we continue to attract into key roles the best talent in the world,” said Daldry.

“I’m delighted to be part of the team.”

“These Games are bringing together world-class British talent,” said Lord Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

“Each one of these individuals would hold their own on the worldwide stage.

“They are joining names like children’s author Michael Morpurgo who has created the story behind our highly successful mascots.

“We are delighted with the team we have brought together to deliver our ceremonies in 2012.”

‘International calibre’

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: “The opening and closing ceremonies are the jewels in the crown of any Olympics and Paralympics and are one of the benchmarks against which all games are judged.

“I am very pleased that British directors and producers of such outstanding international calibre and acclaim have given their backing to London 2012.

“With their creativity and expertises on board, I’m sure that London’s showpiece events will make Britain proud.”

His sentiments were echoed by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who said the “brilliant” team had brought together “some of the most imaginative people in the world”.

Danny Boyle’s films include The Beach, Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later

“The work they have produced over the years has been quite extraordinary, with an impact not just in the UK, but also on the international stage,” he said.

“They exemplify some of the greatest attributes we have – creativity, vision, and intelligence – which will be critical to ensuring shows that are as stunning as they are uniquely British.”

3 Mills Studios in East London will be the production centre for the London 2012 Ceremonies.

Boyle began his career in theatre before moving into television and movies like Shallow Grave, The Beach and 28 Days Later.

This winter the 53-year-old will make his National Theatre debut directing a new production of Frankenstein.

Zhang Yimou, China’s most famous filmmaker, directed the opening ceremony for the Beijing Games in 2008.

Hollywood actor Dennis Hopper has died at the age of 74 following a battle with prostate cancer.

Known for such cult classics as Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet, Hopper embodied the image of the Hollywood icon.

Hopper died on Saturday morning surrounded by friends and family at his home in Venice, California.

He was last seen in public in March when he was honoured with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Hopper directed the 1969 counter-culture road movie Easy Rider, which he co-wrote with and starred alongside Peter Fonda. The pair were nominated for a best screenplay Academy Award.

Following a promising start to his career, with a role in James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause, Hopper developed a reputation as a hell-raiser with a penchant for drink and drugs.

Following his success with Easy Rider, and the disastrous The Last Movie, his on-set clashes with directors and fellow actors saw him effectively blacklisted by Hollywood.

It took nearly 10 years for Hopper to win back starring roles, with his critically acclaimed role in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet marking a turning point in his career, although his personal life remained turbulent.

Wed five times, his final marriage, to Victoria Duffy, turned into an acrimonious split in 2010 when she accused his family of trying to cut her out of his life.

In April a judge ruled that Duffy, who shared a young daughter with Hopper, could remain at the marital home.

It was during the court hearings that it was revealed Hopper was terminally ill with prostate cancer, following his diagnosis last year.

What are your memories of Dennis Hopper? Did you ever meet him? Send us your comments.

Police are hunting for clues as to who carried out the brazen theft

French police are hunting the burglar or burglars who made off with paintings by Picasso, Matisse and other great artists from a Paris museum.

Officials have admitted the Museum of Modern Art’s alarm system had not been fully functioning for several weeks.

One masked intruder was spotted by security cameras, climbing into the museum through a broken side window, having cut through a gate padlock.

The paintings are estimated to be worth just under 100m euros (£86m; $123m).

But experts say the thieves would struggle to sell the paintings on the open market because they are so well known.

The five missing paintings are Dove with Green Peas by Pablo Picasso (painted in 1911), Pastoral by Henri Matisse (1906), Olive Tree near l’Estaque by Georges Braque (1906), Woman with Fan by Amedeo Modigliani (1919) and Still Life with Candlestick by Fernand Leger (1922).

‘Quite impressive’

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe admitted one of the museum’s alarms had been “partly malfunctioning” since the end of March, and had been awaiting repair when the theft happened.

He called the incident “an intolerable attack on the universal cultural heritage in Paris”.

Officials said that the burglar entered the museum at just before 0400 local time (0200 GMT) on Thursday, and took just 15 minutes to remove the canvases from their frames and slip out of the building again undetected.

Three security guards were on duty during the night, but the theft was only discovered at around 0700 local time (0500 GMT), Christophe Girard, deputy culture secretary at Paris City Hall said.

Mr Girard added that investigators were trying to determine whether the theft was carried out by one burglar or a gang.

“This looks like an operation by a professional gang, by organised criminals,” he said. “We are dealing with an extremely high level of sophistication.

“To get into the museum by disassembling a window, choose five specific works and then slip out unnoticed by the guards. That is quite impressive.”

The museum, across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower, has been cordoned off by investigators.

End

By Fiona Pryor
Entertainment reporter, BBC News, Cannes

L’Aquila residents protest with wheelbarrows to show their willingness to clear the town of rubble

Italian film-maker Sabina Guzzanti has received a standing ovation for her controversial account of the L’Aquila earthquake at the Cannes Film Festival.

Draquila: Italy Trembles attacks Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s handling of the disaster, which left 300 dead.

It suggests the leader used the crisis to boost his image after a series of sex scandals.

Italy’s culture minister is boycotting Cannes over the film’s inclusion.

Sandro Bondi says the movie is “a propaganda film… that insults the truth and the Italian people.”

Speaking after the 90-minute film’s debut, Guzzanti admitted it had taken courage to speak out against the Italian government, but she thought the film had been met with a “good reaction”.

Ghost town

Mr Berlusconi has pointed to the hands-on response to the crisis in L’Aquila as one of his government’s biggest successes.

But Guzzanti claims the politician was too busy planning last summer’s G8 summit to make sure that the 60,000 people left homeless by the earthquake were properly taken care of.

Her film portrays him as a vampire, sucking the blood out of the city, leading to the title, Draquila – a compression of the words Dracula and L’Aquila.

Part of L’Aquila’s basilica – the symbol of the city – collapsed in the quake

The movie acknowledges that Mr Berlusconi pledged money for new homes to be built, but argues it is not nearly enough to re-house everyone.

Meanwhile, it claims, residents have been barred from attempting to repair their own homes for safety reasons.

One year on, L’Aquila is still a ghost town, its centre off-limits because the buildings are unsafe.

Temporary housing for the displaced has been built far from the city at three times the projected cost.

Throughout the course of the movie Guzzanti interviews survivors, who recall the nightmare they endured in the months following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake.

Some of the harrowing scenes of devastation proved hard for the Cannes audience to watch – while other footage included protests turning violent.

Guzzanti says it “took some time” to convince people to speak on camera, but she added that most of the lawyers and officials who spoke were retired and “could speak freely”.

Despite the controversy the film, which was released in Italy last week, has already been a big success at the box office.

It has been given added credibility by an investigation into suspected corruption linked to public contracts awarded in the wake of the disaster, which was launched in February.

Guzzanti says L’Aquila residents welcomed the film when it was shown at a special screening in the main town square.

“They knew what happened but they were shocked to see it so clearly.

“But they are in trouble, they are really in trouble because nobody is going to rebuild this city.”

Draquila is showing out of competition at the Cannes film festival.

By Fiona Pryor
Entertainment reporter, BBC News, Cannes

Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone has revealed how US banks refused to co-operate with the making of his Wall Street sequel Money Never Sleeps.

Speaking at the Cannes film Festival, he said: “The big banks were very arrogant, they wouldn’t let us in.”

He added that it was the Royal Bank of Canada that stepped in and allowed them to film inside its buildings.

The movie, which sees Michael Douglas return as Gordon Gekko, is scheduled for release in September.

“It was interesting that they let us in when whereas the Goldmans of this world locked their doors,” he added of the Canadian bank’s co-operation.

It is no coincidence that Stone decided to make the film as the world has started to recover from one of the biggest financial crisis’ in recent history.

‘Story about family’

Douglas approached the film-maker in 2006 about bringing a second movie to life, but Stone did not feel it was the right time as he “didn’t want to celebrate that culture of wealth”.

It was only once Stone saw another script in 2008 that he started production, as he felt the economic crisis – or as he calls it a “major heart attack and triple by-pass” – could no longer be ignored.

Michael Douglas stars alongside Shia LaBeouf in the film

The film is fast-paced and contains huge figures and financial terminology, allowing the viewer to get a flavour of how a trader feels on a regular basis.

The film begins with 80s bad guy Gekko – who coined the term “greed is good” in the original – getting out of jail and starting to piece his life back together.

A friendship is formed between himself and Jake – a hard working and enthusiastic Wall Street trader played by Shia LaBeouf – who is also engaged to Gekko’s estranged daughter Winnie, played by British actress Carey Mulligan.

Although betrayal and greed are common themes that run throughout the film, Stone insists there is something more to this picture.

“This is a story about family,” said Stone, who dedicated the first Wall Street to his stockbroker father.

‘Dangerous attraction’

“This is a story about people who are balancing their love of power and money with their need for love.”

Jake goes into battle against business man Bretton James, played by Josh Brolin, and the harder he tries to win his fight, the more his world begins to crumble around him.

The initial reaction to the film has been positive, with praise for Douglas reprising his role as Gekko.

A special mention must go to Mulligan too, who once again has shown she can do no wrong on screen.

And Charlie Sheen – who also appeared in the original – makes a cameo appearance, drawing the loudest laugh in the theatre.

Although screening such a high profile movie at Cannes will help boost interest and generate more excitement amongst audiences, it did not go unnoticed that it was not included in the Palme d’Or competition.

But Stone showed no sign of disappointment, insisting that taking awards so seriously could become a “dangerous attraction and addiction”.

He added: “I think Woody Allen once made the point one time at the Oscars, that it does drive people crazy. We all like competition, but we all sort of compete by making movies.”

The film, which had originally been scheduled to be released last month, has now been put back until September.

Stone insisted it was right to delay, despite one journalist suggesting the film might have benefited from coming out during the financial crisis.

“If you keep chasing the news you’re never going to be satisfied. The news is going to be there forever,” he said.

But he added that he was certain that the problems were far from solved.

“The fourth quarter historically on Wall Street is far more volatile so we will be coming out right into the storm, I think.”

Douglas also added that he did not want people to confuse the film with reality.

“I think it is a marketing dilemma, but one should not think that because Wall Street is in the news that that necessarily helps our movie.

“There really has to be a separation, this movie has a lot more things going on about it.”