| Archives and libraries | |
| www.britishpathe.com |
Pathé (British)
3,000 hours of historical footage free on-line. Further research available by e-mail for a £25.00 minimum charge on all requests requiring photocopies or information faxed or e-mailed by staff. |
| http://www.bufvc.ac.uk/faf/faf.htm |
The Film Archive Forum
Established in 1987 to foster an informal network of British moving image, the Film Archive Forum are custodians of the UK's Public Sector Moving Image Archives. FAF is an umbrella for 11 institutional members (9 regional archives, the BFI and the Imperial War Museum) representing all the UK's national and regional film archives of the UK on a non-profit basis for the public good, providing access to history as recorded on film, videotape and other formats. |
| http://www.bfi.org.uk/collections/ |
British Film Institute Archive
The BFI collections includes the National Film and Television Archive and is the largest collection of films and television titles in Europe. Access footage on video, 16mm or 35mm for research, screening or home use from the Bookings Department. |
| Film commissions | |
| http://www.britfilmcom.co.uk/ |
Britfilmcom
The British Film Commission is funded by the Film Council, to promote the UK as an international production centre and to encourage the use of British locations, services, facilities and personnel. The BFC provides information on all matters relevant to overseas film producers contemplating production in the UK and acts as an umbrella organisation for the 25 regional offices of the UK Film Commission Network. |
| http://www.glasgowfilm.org.uk/ |
Glasgowfilm
Glasgow film Office provides free assistance to professional crews shooting on location or basing their projects in Glasgow, including film and television production, documentaries and commercials, plus a range of support measures including office accommodation for emerging companies, business development grants, and project development funds. The current operating plan offers grant support for company development activities and bursaries for emerging talent, plus limited funds available for short film production. |
| http://www.london-film.co.uk/ |
London Film Commission
The LFC encourages active support for the filmed entertainment industry in London and offers assistance in various aspects of production. The Commission works with productions including feature films, television, commercials, pop promos, corporate videos and stills shoots, drawing on an data store and library of over 100 studios, 11,000 locations, 14,000 crew and production personnel, 8,000 facilities companies and 1,000 local services within a 50 mile radius of Charing Cross.. |
| http://www.central-screen.co.uk/ |
Central-screen
Central Screen's web-site is a web version of the CESC Production Directory. It's a who's who of anyone and everyone currently working in the film and TV industry, and a what's what of every aspect of production in the central England region. |
| Independent films | |
| www.proletariatpictures.com |
Proletariat Pictures
Proletariat produce, support and develop independent film. The web-site has a priceless feature in Guerilla Film-Making 101 - a series of nine motivational how-to articles for the film-maker, written from experience. Point Of View articles on festivals and markets provide another wealth of shared knowledge. There are posters, scripts, film-maker biographies, production news and a year-long list of festival deadlines amid the links. |
| http://bak.spc.org/exponet/ |
Exploding Cinema
Exploding Cinema is a coalition of film/video makers committed to developing new modes of exhibition for underground media, from DIY screenings in all kinds of venues to low/no budget film tours, cable TV and the Internet. Regular open screenings of drama, experimental, documentary, splatter, animation, true confessions, protest, pop promos, home videos, found footage with facilities for Super8, 16mm, Standard 8, VHS, tape/slide, performance and a video wall. The group is voluntary and totally democratic, anyone can contribute and anyone can join. |
| http://www.indie-underground.com/ |
Indie Underground
From low-budget to no-budget, Indie-Underground promotes offbeat, edgy, visionary films made outside the system. Operating on ten broad precepts (eg. "Everyone wants you to fail, except when you succeed.") the Indie-Underground aims to address the void between film creators and the film business, to level the economic playing field and create a viable alternative distribution system. Indie-Underground comes complete with a manifesto and a commitment to community and supporting fellow creators. Eight films and three documentaries are showcased onsite each with a brief synopsis plus format and price details. |
| http://www.bifa.org.uk/ |
British Independent Film Awards BIFA sets out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British film-making, to honour new talent, and to promote British films and film-making to a wider public. BIFA considers every eligible film for nomination by tracking release schedules and festivals, but you can submit your film for consideration directly. Find a printable pdf file of the submission form online |
| http://www.midnightpictures.co.uk |
Midnight Pictures
Low-budget, home-grown independent film-makers from Portadown, Northern Ireland. Recording on videotape and using friends as actors, Midnight specialise in horror as fans of the genre aware that special effects can be fairly cheap and easy to organise. With a few PCs for music composition, editing and graphics, they dig in and make it happen. After creating a couple of short films Midnight Pictures set about making their first epic, 'Zombie Genocide.' |
| Distributors | |
| http://www.pathe.co.uk |
Pathe UK
The doyen of newsreel cinema before television, Pathé is now an independent film distribution company holding its own with the major studios. Past successes include Judge Dredd, Basic Instinct, Stargate, Wind in the Willows and Richard III. The archive has movie posters with basic credits, film precis and extracts from reviews. |
| Organisations | |
| http://www.filmcouncil.org.uk/ |
The Film Council
The UK Film Council develops strategies for film culture, development of the film industry and the encouragement of inward investment. Set up by the government to be the lead organisation for the UK film industry, the Film Council is a Lottery funding distributor responsible for encouraging cultural and commercial film activity. Initiatives and activities are geared towards supporting, encouraging, promoting and marketing film in the UK by encouraging film-makers to produce in the UK and work with regional film commissions and other similar organisations. |
| http://www.bfi.org.uk |
British Film Institute (BFI)
The BFI underpins much of the British film industry, supporting cinemas, festivals, etc. Its brief is to promote greater understanding and appreciation of, and access to, film and moving image culture in the UK. The BFI runs the UK's National Film Theatre, the London Film Festival and supports cinemas and film festivals UK-wide An authoritative source of information on film and television, the BFI seeks to preserve and expand the UK's film and TV heritage and encourage life-long learning about the moving image. |
| http://www.lumiereadapt.co.uk |
Lumiere
Lumiere's aim is to help creative professionals in the film and television industries to adapt to the digital film, TV and converging interactive media industries. They provide research, training and business support to freelancers and small to medium-sized companies keen to exploit the opportunities generated by new technologies. |
| http://www.bafta.org/ |
British Academy of Film & TV Arts (BAFTA)
The British Academy of Film & Television Arts promotes and rewards the best in film, television and interactive media. Renowned for its high- profile Award ceremonies covering film, television and interactive entertainment the Academy is a membership-led organisation running a range of events covering topical issues to Academy members and non-members alike. |
| www.soc.org | The Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC) seeks to recognise and nurture excellence in the field of camera operation and, secondarily allied camera crafts, and to encourage development of technology and production methods. |
| http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/ |
BBC Online - Film
The film sector of the ever-growing BBC Online network opts for depth rather than overkill, presenting a handful of review features on main-stream new releases alongside a key feature area. Each movie has its own page with a brief list of credits leading to further features on stars and director. Find more links to relevant official sites at the foot of the review. Find more director interviews in the general section, plus a report or two and an invite to subscribe to a newsletter. |
| http://www.filmwaves.co.uk |
Filmwwaves
The magazine for low/no budget film-making on the web. The front page is a rack of back issues beneath the latest, each popping up a contents page to the features within. The other method of perusal is by marginal menu which groups the contents of all issues by topic area, such as Closeup, Kinipraxis, Newsreel, Screenwriting and others. Erudite, lively and produced by enthusiasts. |
| www.kabinet.org |
Kabinet
The online film journal of Kabinet - a Manchester-based non-profit digital film-making co-op - has 6 issues of e-zine for independent, arthouse and world cinema. Two major features per issue and two collections of Rob's Random Reviews addressing various genres in various decades and proffering the ten best. Serious critique with a lively style. |
| www.elementalfilms.co.uk |
Elemental Films
Elemental is a Scottish movie company using digital technology as a means for storytelling for electronic cinema. Elemental are out to compete in the commercial marketplace and have made it their business to acquire the skills to be self-sufficient in an industry "fatigued by bureaucracy." They seek to originate, develop and produce low-budget features and documentaries by devoting energy and resources to one project at a time, with each project designed from the bottom up. Elemental produced May Miles Thomas' debut feature, 'One Life Stand,' which swept the board at the BAFTA New Talent Awards and also won Best Achievement in Production at the British Independent Film Awards. Press-packs are online for download into Quark, with stills available in zip file format. |
| www.filmfour.com |
FilmFour
Channel 4's film production wing. Film Four's goal is to make, sell and distribute films to appeal to the broadest audience world-wide. The web-site is geared to enlarging that audience and encouraging subscription and has a wide a range of in-depth features on a collection of FilmFour releases with Real Player clips. The Forum section of the site encourages rant, rave and chit-chat about films, shorts and documentaries shown on the FilmFour channel and has a topic list of matters under discussion. |
| www.womenfilmnet.org |
European Coordination of Film Festivals , Working Group Women and Film in Europe
Information on Women's Film Associations, Film Festivals and other websites involving women and film in Europe. |
| Resources | |
|
Cinema Sites Organized and annotated index of Movie and TV resources. | www.cinema-sites.com |
| www.webmovie.com |
A Producer's Guide to the Web
A comprehensive guide to film and video production services, facilities, distribution and makers of production related equipment and software. |
| www.reelfinder.com |
Reelfinder The largest free search engine database for film and production in the UK. Get free listing & free access to 1000's of companies, services and professionals in the film/production/broadcast business. |
| www.knowledgehound.com/topics/film/htm |
Film, TV & Video: How-to guides and tips at Knowledge Hound - Links to free online tutorials for filmmakers, script writers, actors, crew members and more. |
| http://www.indiefilmpage.com/ | |
|
Independent films |
|
| www.proletariatpictures.com |
Proletariat Pictures
Proletariat produce, support and develop independent film. The web-site has a priceless feature in Guerilla Film-Making 101 - a series of nine motivational how-to articles for the film-maker, written from experience. Point Of View articles on festivals and markets provide another wealth of shared knowledge. There are posters, scripts, film-maker biographies, production news and a year-long list of festival deadlines amid the links. |
| http://bak.spc.org/exponet/ |
Exploding Cinema
Exploding Cinema is a coalition of film/video makers committed to developing new modes of exhibition for underground media, from DIY screenings in all kinds of venues to low/no budget film tours, cable TV and the Internet. Regular open screenings of drama, experimental, documentary, splatter, animation, true confessions, protest, pop promos, home videos, found footage with facilities for Super8, 16mm, Standard 8, VHS, tape/slide, performance and a video wall. The group is voluntary and totally democratic, anyone can contribute and anyone can join. |
| http://www.indie-underground.com/ |
Indie Underground
From low-budget to no-budget, Indie-Underground promotes offbeat, edgy, visionary films made outside the system. Operating on ten broad precepts (eg. "Everyone wants you to fail, except when you succeed.") the Indie-Underground aims to address the void between film creators and the film business, to level the economic playing field and create a viable alternative distribution system. Indie-Underground comes complete with a manifesto and a commitment to community and supporting fellow creators. Eight films and three documentaries are showcased onsite each with a brief synopsis plus format and price details. |
| http://www.bifa.org.uk/ |
British Independent Film Awards set out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, to honour new talent, and to promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public. The British independent Film Awards considers every eligible film for nomination. With the help of British-based film festivals and by tracking the release schedules, our researchers set out to find everything that qualifies. To assist us, you can submit your film for consideration directly. Download a printable pdf of our submission form |
| http://www.midnightpictures.co.uk/ |
Around 1990 some friends and I developed an interest in low-budget, home-grown film-making, having seen some efforts made by others in the field. Particularly impressive was "The Resurrection of Michael Myers," a "Halloween" spoof made by some guys in Germany using merely a household camcorder. In the UK, Brian Davies (calling himself Videas Productions) made several excellent camcorder movies - "The Exhumation," "Last Day at the Beach," "Lady in Danger" - and has been interviewed more than once on TV for his efforts. |
| www.ifilm.com |
Ifilm
****
Comprehensive film portal with links to more than 5,000 online films. Ifilm has a feature-rich front page with a glossy magazine feel. In-site features make it more than 20-odd gateways to different categories of Internet movie. There are current and all-time top 10 charts compiled from online votes. |
| www.womenfilmnet.org |
Women Film Net
****
Women Film Net opens into film associations, archives, cinematheques, libraries, databases universities and research departments, distributors, production companies, programmers, training institutions, financial support, experts, press and other resources of information. Set up in 1997 by the 'Women and Film in Europe' working group to research the history of women and film in Europe and to make its findings available to others. A variety of information concerning the activities of international women's film festivals with valuable addresses and useful links. A data-bank is on the way. |
| Advisory bodies | |
| http:// www.bectu.org.uk |
BECTU
***
Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph & Theatre Union (BECTU)
is the independent union for those working in broadcasting, film, theatre, entertainment, leisure, interactive media and allied industries in the UK. The union represents permanently employed, contract and freelance workers within these industries. BECTU offers a range of services to over 25,000 members, including g pay negotiations, conditions, safety and contracts with employers. Membership is voluntary, and anyone working or seeking employment in the industries covered by BECTU can apply. |
| http://www.shootingpeople.com |
Shooting People
An online organisation of UK filmmakers aiming to create, produce, finance, distribute and market UK film. Members can discuss film technologies, contact distributors and agents, buy/sell film equipment, find crew, talk to festival organisers, raise finance and network. Membership is free and open to anyone actively working in film in the UK. |
| www.aifp.org |
Association of Independent Feature Film Producers
The AIFP comprise 20,000 filmmakers world-wide seeking to network and produce feature films for distribution. The AIFP develops standards to improve state-of-the-art of independent filmmaking. |
| http://www.bima.co.uk/aboutus/index.htm |
The British Interactive Multimedia Association
BIMA is a trade association representing the interactive media industries in the UK. Established in 1985, the association has developed and expanded alongside the industry to keep apace with new platforms and delivery mechanisms. An umbrella group for 200+ organisations and individual members from various sectors of the market, from software houses to individuals, BIMA aims to bring new media into focus. Enquiries welcome. |
| Courses | |
| www.cyberfilmschool.com |
Cyber Film School
The Cyber Film School supplies a Movie School Encyclopaedia consisting of six multimedia chapters using video interviews, demonstrations, images, tests and.assignments to teach how to produce, direct, write, shoot and edit movies, from blue-screening to screenwriting to online film finance tuition. Download it free online or send of for an enhanced version available on CD-ROM. |
| www.focal.ch/ |
FOCAL
FOCAL is an umbrella organisation providing an extensive cinema and audio-video training resource database to help you find the school you're looking for via a database of movie, AV and multimedia training centres providing information on schools and training organisations world-wide. Includes message forums devoted to information exchange and the sharing of knowledge on a number of specific cinema and audio-visual topics. Search facilities reveals annotated bibliographies of publications on film technique and multimedia. |
| www.lifs.org.uk |
London International Film School LIFS is a non-profit-making, registered charity, offering a two-year, full-time Diploma Course in the Art and Technique of Film Making to professional level. This is a practical, hands-on syllabus taught by professional film makers in a bustling workshop atmosphere. Details of the course are scrupulously documented onsite and the list of film credits accorded to its graduates bears testimony to its calibre. |
| http://www.nftsfilm-tv.ac.uk/ | National Film & Television School **** The National Film and Television School is a leading international centre for professional training in the film, television and media industries, offering full-time courses and short courses. The Short Course Unit runs a continuous programme for freelancers wishing to update their skills or develop new ones, while the two-year MA course is accredited by the Royal College of Art. Full details online. |
| www.welcome.to/ofvm |
Oxford Film & Video Makers
Non-profit-making grant-aided independent workshop offering courses in several aspects of film and video production across a range of standards and intensity, from weekend crash to weekday evening for beginner and adept. OFVM was established in 1987 and is committed to developing new training, productions and screening opportunities. Entry-level courses for the unemployed in multimedia and video are free, while a full-on weekend's digital non-linear editing costs £205. |
| Festivals | |
| http://www.festival-cannes.fr/ |
Cannes International Film Festival
The single most prestigious film festival in the world. Each year, the International Film Festival chooses approximately fifty feature films and a dozen short films for the official selection. The aim is to reveal and focus attention on works of quality in order to contribute to the progress of the motion picture arts and to the development of the film industry. The site has an online application form with submission details. Archive pages of previous winners demonstrate the standard and influence. |
| http:// www.edfilmfest.org.uk |
Edinburgh International Film Festival
EIFF (aged 56) is the world's longest continually running film festival and competes for attention with the dozen other festivals taking place in Edinburgh every August. The deadline for submissions of features and shorts is at the end of April each year. The web-site is a basic procession of facts and figures with catalogues for previous years available for download. |
| http://www.lff.org.uk |
London Film Festival
The London Film Festival presented by the British Film Institute is presented in the three cinemas of the National Film Theatre on London's South Bank every November. Following the London Closing Night Gala, a broad range of films drawn from each of the sections of the festival are toured across the UK at Odeon and other major independent cinemas the country. Screenings aree accompanied by educational talks and where possible directors and stars will be in attendance to speak about their work. The web-site previews each film with a link to its own page. |
| http:// www.filmfestivals.com |
The Film Festivals Server
Bristling with reviews and features, this compendium of world-wide film is about to move into broadband transmission and promises net-cast movies, several online world premieres during the Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin. festivals, along with a range of tools and content intended to enhance interactive screening. Meanwhile there are links to major and minor festival sites and a weekly page outlining what's on right now. |
| Film societies | |
| www.backspace.org/exponet |
Exploding Cinema
Independence on legs, Exploding Cinema is London's total access screening club with a coalition of film- makers committed to developing new modes of exhibition for underground media from DIY screenings in all manner of venues to low/no-budget film tours, cable TV and the Internet. Who needs cinemas? Links to co-conspirators and the like-minded. |
| www.members.tripod.com/~Fleapit |
Fleapit Film Club (Glasgow)
Fleapit's front page hot-spot site map is laid out like a frame from a childrens' comic. "A wee gem," as someone observes in the Graffiti Guest Book chat in the Fleapit Toilets. Find more Java-led chat in the Tea-room. The first visit to a Fleapit event somewhere in Glasgow costs £3 including membership while subsequent trips are a mere quid for fabulous movies in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Feature and screening info was out of date at our last visit and Deidre the Usherette didn't have much to say, but they're probably plotting even as we speak. |
| http://www.6degrees.co.uk/en/2/soc.html |
6 Degrees
Contact details for film societies across the UK are available at 6 degrees. If you know of any they haven't listed they want to hear from you. |
| Online films | |
| http://www.endependent.com |
WhoNeedsTV.com is a free service, by artists for artists. They want your film on the web with you in control and retaining all rights. Display it on this site or as an extension of your own. Send in your film or video and they digitise and encode it for Internet broadcast, colour correcting and removing visible time-stamps as they go. Then they build a page for your film, including any information you want to provide and a review system for viewer feedback, and host it on their network. If you want to add video to your own web-site WhoNeedsTV will do it that too for free, building a window with your movie in it and all you do is add a link and bask in the glory of being on the cutting edge. |
| www.cinema-sites.com |
Cinema Sites
Highly organized index of Movie and TV resource links, covering Databases, Reviews, Previews, Production Studios, Screenings, Fan Pages, Animation & Visual Effects, Video, TV, Magazines, News, Media Contact Listings, Associations and Organisations, Festivals, Film Appreciation, Newsletters, Academic Stuff, Scripts, Production, Film Schools, Conventions, Trade Shows, Enthusiasts' Pages and Misc. |
| http://www.indiefilmpage.com/ |
IndieFilmPage
IndieFilmPage has an online video-streaming show, commentary on new and upcoming films, lively discussion areas and carefully-tended links pages. Short films, trailers and clips are showing while films and film-making topics are debated. There's a useful list of film and television links, official sites, fan-pages devoted to Indie directors, Indie-friendly theatres and a list of sites devoted to providing screen-time and distribution to independent short films. |
| http://www.filmmaker.com/files/ |
Filmmaker
Filmmaker is a community resource for the independent practitioner in all areas of movie-dom. News, bulletins, polls, chat, FAQ's, the lot, on editing, cinematography, writing, production issues, you name it, driven by user-contribution and relevant to the topic of the day. Filmmaker's File Files is a links list of movie-related software available for download in the public domain. Beneath that is a huge and sporadically alphabetic treasure of links submitted by site-users. |
| http://www.mfilms.com/ |
Monarch Films Inc.
Monarch Films present a wealth of film-related Internet directories covering pre-production, production and post-production, alongside an array of pages outlining their own achievements. The web-site was created to meet the needs of broadcasters, distributors, Internet providers and educational institutions. Tips and how-to gateways abound in a variety of categories. |
| www.frameworkonline.com |
Framework
Framework provides an international forum for scholarly research and discussion in cinema and media. It seeks to broaden debate in popular and independent cinema and media, and to promote discussion among academics and media practitioners. Features are generally scrupulously researched single-issue topics. Two back issues available alongside the current release. |
| www.bksts.com | BKSTS - The Moving Image Society Aims to encourage, sustain, educate, train and represent all those providing moving images and associated crafts in any form and through any media. |
| www.britfilms.com |
Britfilms Wide range of resources, including training and funding for filmmakers in Britain |
| www.britfilmcom.co.uk |
British Film Commission Provides international film-makers with information about working in the UK, including a directory of contacts and general information. |
| www.bfi.org.uk |
British Film Institute Comprehensive listings of what's on at this venue, as well as database of the BFI's library and other resources |
| www.cinenova.org |
Cinenova Provides information and support for women film-makers. |
| www.concordvideo.co.uk | |
| www.em-media.org.uk | EM Media Regional agency supporting development of film and media industries in East Midlands |
| www.fvumbrella.com |
Film and Video Umbrella Curates and produces film, video and new media projects which are commissioned and presented in venues throughout the UK. |
| www.filmcouncil.org.uk |
Film Council The Film Council provides funding for training and film production. |
| www.firstfilm.co.uk |
First Film Foundation Helps new writers, producers and directors make their first feature films, offering support, practical advice and careers information. |
| www.intraference.net | Intraference Experiemental film techniques |
| www.lighthouse.org.uk |
Lighthouse Provides training and production activities for artists working in digital media and film. |
| www.lux.org.uk |
London Film and Video Development Agency Supports cultural, independent and innovative film and video activities. www.lfvda.demon.co.uk Lux Promotes and supports artists' moving image work both in the UK and abroad. |
| www.netribution.co.uk | .
Netribution Film industry website offering advice to those working in the industry, no longer being updated. |
| www.northernmedia.org |
Northern Film and Media Regional film and media agency, which aims to build a sustainable film, media and digital content industry in the North East. |
| www.pact.co.uk |
PACT: the Media Industry Alliance The Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television is the trade association representing independent television, feature film, animation and interactive media production companies. |
| www.screensouth.org |
Screen South Film and media agency for the South of England |
| www.screenwm.co.uk |
Screen West Midlands Regional agency working to support, promote and develop the screen media industry in the West Midlands. |
| www.shootingpeople.org |
Shooting People Network for filmmakers to exchange information and ideas. |
| www.signals.org.uk |
Signals Media Arts Signals supports film and video artists and provides community access. |
| www.skillset.org.uk |
Skillset The national training organisation for broadcast, film video and interactive media. |
| www.filmfestivals.com |
The Film Festivals Server News and links to film festivals around the world. |
| www.signals.org.uk | Signals Media Arts Signals supports film and video artists and provides community access. . |
