Stars praise UK government for movie aid

Danny Boyle, Emma Thompson and Paul Greengrass have praised the Labour government for helping the British film industry.

In an open letter to The Guardian they said that the "global success story" of British cinema had been greatly assisted by official support through direct funding and tax relief.

Stewart Till, a former chair of the UK Film Council and chief executive of the film distributor Icon, told The Guardian: "I think Labour has done a fantastic job for the film industry. They have been very supportive through the UK Film Council. The result is that the industry is in really good shape, and I felt that that should be acknowledged."

He said of Gordon Brown: "He likes film, and he understands the economic value they bring."

Other signatories included Lord Attenborough, Gurinder Chadha (director of Bend It Like Beckham) and Roger Michell (director of Notting Hill).

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