The British film industry has given its unanimous support for a levy on film production to help train the filmmakers of the future.

The existing training levy, the Skills Investment Fund (SIF) has raised £3.2m from over 260 films including Batman Begins, Vera Drake and Bullet Boy but contributions are voluntary.

The establishment of the Skillset Film Industry Training Board will see that levy move to a statutory footing.

Phil Hope MP, Minister for Lifelong Learning, said:

“The leading organisations in the British film industry have said loud and clear they want a mandatory training levy to fund the skills training they need to compete. The Government will continue to support and work with them to deliver this. Skillset and the UK Film Council have shown vision and leadership, building strong partnerships to drive investment in the workforce forward and I congratulate them for that.”

John Woodward, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Film Council described the move as ‘bold’ that indicated the evolution towards a more confident film industry.

John McVay, Chief Executive of PACT, the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television, said: “Our members support the levy becoming mandatory. It will mean that productions that do contribute are no longer subsidising those that don’t. In future all financiers will have to include the levy as a budget line item.

“This initiative builds on the long standing commitment by UK independent producers to properly invest in the skills and talent that we need to be a globally competitive film making country. Pact has worked closely with Skillset and DfES and are confident that the Skillset Film ITB will minimise bureaucracy and is good news for the industry.”

Money raised by the levy will fund A Bigger Future, the UK Film Skills Strategy, a joint initiative by Skillset and the UK Film Council, which aims to address skills issues across the industry.

It is estimated that by making the levy mandatory an additional £500,000 a year would be raised for investment in training.