Mon 16 Jan was the much-anticipated launch of the Film Policy Review – a major report conducted by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport chaired by ex-Culture Secretary Lord Smith.

Our Head of Programme Mark Cosgrove tweeted his thoughts from the public launch and Q&A at @msc45 – check out his responses as the panel went over their findings and recommendations.

A major focus for the independent review panel was to identify barriers faced by the British film industry and determine how to best set future policy directions. Their remit covered film development and production, distribution and exhibition, as well as inward investment, film export, heritage and education.

Mark has published a manifesto for the UK independent cultural cinema sector which has been signed by over 20 cinemas across the UK and which you can read over on DShed. This manifesto was shared with the DCMS during their consultation period, where they invited feedback from everyone in the business of getting films made, sold and seen.

Watershed's Head of Programme Mark Cosgrove

Last week saw a flurry of activity in response to David Cameron’s comments that the BFI should support more "commercially successful pictures". Mark’s response was:

"One of our key roles at Watershed is to promote and profile world cinema and non-mainstream English language films in response to our audiences' desire to engage with a broad range of film culture. We also provide a space for alternative and emerging cinematic visions.

"To support commercially successful productions at the expense of more experimental ones is to miss the point about the value of the British film industry. A strong film industry relies on risk taking and diversity as well as commercial success. Films can generate ideas and debates as well as deliver profit, and any policy that ignores this will be hugely detrimental to the health of our cultural economy."

It has turned out that the Review entitled, ‘A Future for British Film: It begins with the audience’ acknowledges the need for diversity in developing a rich UK film culture and which includes recommendations on how to maximise audiences to films “of every kind”.

Read the review on the DCMS website and read Marks's reactions and comments at @msc45.