Screen WM’s 2010/11 Investment Fund opens on Tuesday 4 May 2010

The bad news:

Screen WM is also announcing that the UK Film Council has now confirmed a significant reduction of Lottery funding to each of the nine regional screen agencies. They are also reallocating all skills and training funding previously distributed through the regional screen agencies to Skillset. Skillset will now handle all applications for skills and training funding, to apply visit www.skillset.org . Screen WM will continue to work closely with Skillset to ensure a smooth transition of skills funding in the region.

[…] there is a total cut of 25% to Screen WM’s 2010/11 Lottery funding from the UK Film Council

[…] the impact of these cuts mean that inevitably there is an overall reduction in Lottery funding available in our 2010/11 Investment Fund. This means that Screen WM will be funding fewer projects in total in comparison with previous years and the application process this year will undoubtedly be more competitive. As such, Screen WM has taken the decision to be more targeted in approach and provide more specific support to projects

As a result, Screen WM will specifically be investing in:

• Film and Media Education ‘Hubs’
• Film Festivals
• Film Script Development
• Regional Film Industry support networks

I’m hoping posts like this don’t become too commonplace. Fuller info over at Audiences Central.