Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
10/07/2002

FilmFour closure will mean 'significant job losses'

Channel 4 have announced that their filmmaking arm, FilmFour Productions, is to close threatening the jobs of its 59 employees.
It was revealed that FilmFour has been losing money in the last two years, despite the record of churning out a series of successful films in the 80's and early 90's. However, the company, which had been operating on its own terms since 1998, had hit hard times and 'East Is East', released in 1999, has been the only standout success of late. The company will now be brought back within the control of the parent company as FilmFour Lab.
Channel 4 boss Mark Thompson said: "We are moving away from our recent focus on larger-budget, international projects and towards producing the kind of cutting-edge British films that have been part of Channel 4's cultural and creative success of the last 20 years.
"Finding and supporting new talent will remain a priority, which is why we will continue to back our experimental, low-budget unit, FilmFour Lab."
In its restructured and reduced role, there will be "significant job losses" in the short term and the restyled production division will have an annual budget of £10 million - a third of the budget it had previously enjoyed. FilmFour's distribution and sales divisions will be closed in the restructuring which has now been put out for the statutory 30-day consultation period.
FilmFour produced a number of acclaimed and profitable films, and pushed the talents of British filmmakers onto a global footing. ITs output included 'Four Weddings And A Funeral', 'My Beautiful Launderette' and 'Trainspotting', films which also launched the careers of Hugh Grant and Ewan McGregor, amongst others.
However, the company’s recent productions failed to attain a similar stature internationally, and bigger-budgeted productions such as 'Charlotte Gray' failed to meet expectations. It is understood that the flagship British independent production company found it increasingly difficult competing with the long-established studios giants of Hollywood.
Current FilmFour chief Paul Webster has already ruled himself out of the running to head FilmFour Lab.
Channel 4 have said that they will continue to support the projects currently on the FilmFour books.
FilmFour Productions, www.filmfour.com
(GMcG)
Solidmate Ltd Memory Card Hire London

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

19/03/2024
Box To Box Films Extends Agreement With EditShare
Box to Box Films, an Emmy® award winning producer of high end documentaries and factual entertainment, has extended its agreement with EditShare and w
29/06/2001
FILMFOUR AND ORANGE LAUNCH MAJOR PRIZE
ORANGE and FilmFour have launched a major prize that aims to discover new and dynamic voices for film in the UK. The Orange FilmFour Prize for Short F
23/02/2024
Little Dot Studios Expands Partnership With Zig Zag Productions
Award-winning digital content studio and media network, Little Dot Studios (an All3Media company), has been awarded the three year YouTube channel man
14/02/2024
Fearless Productions' Project Chimera Shines With Kino Flo's MIMIK 120
Kino Flo Lighting Systems has announced that its MIMIK 120 full-spectrum, image-based video lighting tile was used by Hollywood-based digital film pro
31/08/2023
Zenway Productions Implements Clear-Com® FreeSpeak II® Wireless Intercom System
Zenway Productions has recently implemented the state-of-the-art Clear-Com® FreeSpeak II® Wireless Intercom System, revolutionising its communication
20/04/2023
Channel 4 Renews Contract With ITN
Channel 4 has renewed its contract with ITN to supply Channel 4 News until December 2026. The deal ensures that ITN's award-winning Channel 4 News bul
20/03/2024
Witbe Announces New Consumer
Witbe has announced a new customer in Channel Four Television Corporation. Channel Four is utilising Witbe's technology to automate the QA testing pro
29/01/2016
RTS Announces Television Journalism Awards 2016
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the nominations for the RTS Television Journalism Awards 2016.   The awards, for news and current aff
28/03/2023
Pebble To Display Integrated Channel Solutions At NAB 2023
Pebble is to showcase its market-leading playout automation and integrated channel solutions as well as its award-winning IP connection management too
04/01/2024
Benenden Health Partners With Channel 4
Not-for-profit, affordable healthcare provider Benenden Health and Channel 4 have partnered for a second time with a mission to improve the nation's h
20/12/2023
Channel 4 Celebrates 126 TV Award Wins In 2023
Channel 4 is celebrating a cumulative 126 TV Award wins across 2023, beating all previous records in its 41-year-old history as a broadcaster includin
27/11/2001
4 VENTURES FORMS NEW DIGITAL SERVICES GROUP
CHANNEL 4 are putting their pay-TV and interactive businesses into a newly created Digital Services group as the result of a restructuring of the chan
14/05/2001
CHANNEL 4 LAUNCH 4 VENTURES LIMITED
CHANNEL 4 have published their Annual Report for 2000 and formally launched a new incorporated company, 4 Ventures Limited, to manage all their film a
24/11/2022
Channel 4 Commissions Atlantic Productions
Atlantic Productions have been commissioned by Channel 4 to produce 2022: The Year from Space, a 90-minute documentary that will look back at 2022 via
23/07/2001
FILMFOUR LAUNCH SEVEN FILMS AT THE EIFF
FILMFOUR DISTRIBUTORS will launch seven films at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), which takes place on August 12 and 13. The