UK Film Council Head Quits Over Axe

The head of the UK Film Council, John Woodward, has quit the arts body over the decision by the Con-Dem coalition to scrap it.

 

The head of the UK Film Council, John Woodward, has quit the arts body over the decision by the Con-Dem coalition to scrap it. It was announced over the summer that the UK Film Council would be scrapped by the penny-pinching coalition Government to save around £15 million per year. The decision has been widely criticised with actors and film producers calling on the coalition to change there minds but Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, said the axe would give the public “value for money”.

 

Now the body’s head, John Woodward, has decided to quit and will leave in November. Woodward said running the council had been a “privilege” until he learnt of government plans to axe it. Amongst those to criticise the axe are names such as Clint Eastwood, Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt and Liam Neeson. The council has funded hundreds of films such as Bend it Like Beckham and more recently the new film starring Gemma Arterton, Tamara Drewe.