The BBFC charge a minimum of 750.00 pounds for a 90 plus minute feature film no matter if the movie costs 10 million or 10 thousand pounds to make. They are the only private company (now with 8 million pounds of assets- Companies House Annual Returns) with a monopoly to control film certificates in the UK.
An online petition is set up here: http://www.imdp.info/
The campaign is being driven by the web site owners who are film producers, and who are incensed that the small budget film making talent in the UK is effectively subsidising the giant studios - easily able to afford higher fees and thereby enabling smaller fees for smaller budget films.
Several questions should be raised.
Why is a single company, established over 80 years ago, and with few or no Board members, involved with the Movie Making Industry able to charge high fes when movies are watched by low paid employees - and the cost to certificate a film should hardly be larger than 3 people for 2 hours on probably less 10 pounds an hour, armed with a tick sheet?
How is justifiable to charge gifted young and emerging movie makers the same charges as Giant Film Studios?
In this recessionary era. the arts have taken a pounding on budgets and grants. The British Film Industry is being stifled not only by lack of Government backing, but by unjustified fees smothering out the Independent film makers working on small budgets and creating art-inspired films and competitive main stream movies using new technology and on-line streaming channels.
The petition is on the HM Government Web Site here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/
The web site has kicked off their campaign through Facebook, their own web site and through communications with other web sites supporting the Independent Movie community.
