The British film industry emerged in the late 19th century, with over 30 film studios established in London by the early 1900s. However, as American studios began producing longer, more expensive and heavily marketed feature films, British production declined to fewer than 40 films per year by 1925. In response, the British government established a quota system requiring distributors and exhibitors to meet a minimum quota for British-made films, doubling production by the end of the decade. While this boosted the industry, it also led to many low-budget "quota quickies." The industry continued to struggle but received a boost during World War 2 with rising cinema attendance. In more recent decades British films have found success with projects like Bridget Jones' Diary

1. BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE BRITISH FILM
INDUSTRY
By Bethany Bouchareb

2. Early history
• Emerged in the late 19th century
• In the first decade of the 20th century
more than 30 film studios were
established in and around London
• Success with British films faded as
America begun creating feature length
films which were more expensive and
heavily marketed
• In 1925, the British film industry were
making fewer than 40 feature length
films a year

3. CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS
ACT 1927
• An act that was created by the
government
• A quota was set for British made
films and this quota had to to be
met by the distributors and
exhibitors
• The production of British made
films doubled by the end of the
decade
• This also established new
production companies
• However this is also the blamed
reason for creating a marker of
poor quality, low costing films and
quota ‘quickies’

4. 1930’s
• The ‘talkies’ (sound film) had a
good effect on the British film
industry
• The most successful British film
company in this time was founded
by a Hungarian: London Film
Productions
• In the late 1930’s the British film
industry came to a halt again due
to being bankrupt from over
expanding
• Quality tests were included with
quotas to avoid quota quickies.

5. WORLD WAR 2 AND
POST WAR
• Was in recession at the beginning
• Cinema attendance rose
• The British film company tried to
compete with America in studio
size
• In 1947, America stopped
distributing films to the UK

6. CINEMATOGRAPHIC ACT
REVISITED
• The exhibitors quota was raised
• The National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC) was
introduced to distribute loans for film production

7. 1950’S-1980s
• The British film industry
was at competition with
new technologies (radio
and TV)
• The British film industry
had expertise in special
effects (A space odyssey)
• British filmmakers begun
to make film versions of
TV programs
• The NFFC was abolished
• The quota system was
suspended

8. THE LAST 10 YEARS
• The UK film council
was launched
• Bridget Jones Diary
was a big hit for the
British film industry
• Harry Potter was
British made but
American funded
• In 2008, Britain was
the 11th largest
producer of films in
the world