The film industry has been given a hard
time in the last month over its lack of diversity, with Selma star David Oyelowo criticizing the academy for favoring “subservient”
black roles, last years figures being released to show a staggering lack of
female leads, and, last but not least, Benedict Cumberbatch’s recent slip up
calling black actors “coloured”.
But it seems the British film industry are
fighting back with a new initiative to prove its diversity, one that suggests its about time we saw some more lesbian,
gay, bisexual and trans voices take centre stage.
The BFI, as of last week, have connected
with Flare, the BFI’s London-based LGBT film festival, to create a new
mentorship designed to bring more up and coming LGBT film-makers and their
stories into the public spotlight. The five successful applicants will be
paired with veteran film makers for nine months to study and grow as artists.
"Much has been written about the industry’s failure to recruit and develop female and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) filmmakers, and rightly so," the BFI said in a statement. "But the plight of LGBT film and filmmakers is less visible, and no less pressing."
This comes at a unique time in the British industry with a recent influx of critically and commercially successful LGBT films such as Pride and Imitation Game,of course, but also Hon Khaou's recent BAFTA nomination for Lilting and Andrew Haigh's breakthrough with his UK indie feature Weekend, leading him to now be working on HBO's Looking. So this begs the question are LGBT films good investments for Independent film studios who, at a time of Hollywood dominance, are struggling already?
Even though it's rare, when we look at the top grossing LGBT films of all time, hollywood does still have a slight edge, but only a slight edge, having six successes compared to four independent successes.
"Much has been written about the industry’s failure to recruit and develop female and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) filmmakers, and rightly so," the BFI said in a statement. "But the plight of LGBT film and filmmakers is less visible, and no less pressing."
This comes at a unique time in the British industry with a recent influx of critically and commercially successful LGBT films such as Pride and Imitation Game,of course, but also Hon Khaou's recent BAFTA nomination for Lilting and Andrew Haigh's breakthrough with his UK indie feature Weekend, leading him to now be working on HBO's Looking. So this begs the question are LGBT films good investments for Independent film studios who, at a time of Hollywood dominance, are struggling already?
The trailer for Lilting
Well lets look at the figures. When looking at the seven major Hollywood studios (20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Sony Columbia, Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Brothers) a representation of LGBT characters is rare. 
When looking more currently at the highest grossing LGBT films in the last four years, shockingly none in the top eleven where made by a major Hollywood studio. Four were american productions, two were american joint productions and five were European (UK, France and Spain). It seems therefore recently Hollywood isn't embracing LGBT films as much as other smaller independent studios.
But is investing in LGBT films paying off for these smaller film studios? Well, recently it was announced that The Imitation Game was the top grossing indie feature film of all time. With a domestic box office of over sixty million and a global box office of over one hundred and ten million. A rare occasion you might argue, well not exactly. As a small budget film (under 50k) Weekend by Andrew Haigh is the second top grossing UK film of all time, Pride has already made seven million worldwide, Blue is the Warmest Colour made almost twenty million, five times its budget and independents films like Brokeback Mountain, Monster and Y Tu Mama Tambien made over 130 million altogether. Admittedly it might be nothing in comparison to todays box office, where The SpongeBob Movie has earned 56 million in its opening weekend. However it cost 66 million to make, needing to make 330 million to be as successful as Blue is The Warmest Colour. So for smaller studios with smaller pockets, choosing a niche audience such as LGBT means pulling in an audience clearly not catered for within the major Hollywood studios, and seems to be working well so far.
So although independent films may have to fight the heavy-weight of Hollywood studios day in day out, I would have to say not only is the BFI's new initiative one that will help the LGBT voice get heard more and support and entertain the LGBT community more. But also one that will help the British and Independent film studios, resulting in them making small yet critically and financially successful films.
More more facts and figures follow the links below and above!
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