Eastwood Appeals To Save UK Film Council

The UKFC, which was established to develop and promote British cinema, has fallen victim to massive spending cuts as the country's new government attempts to curb spiralling debt.

More than 50 British actors, including James MCAvoy, Emily Blunt and Bill Nighy, have signed a letter calling for a reversal of the decision, and now Eastwood has penned his own appeal to British politician George Osbourne.

He writes, "I cannot stress how important the Film Council is to me. I have been following the news of its proposed abolition with great interest. The prospect of losing such a valuable resource is of great concern as we contemplate future projects.

"The Film Council gave us the crucial detailed information we needed to make our decision to shoot in the U.K. (for movie Hereafter) with information on tax credits, availability of crews and other support. Without such assistance in the early stages, the likelihood of a London shoot would have been greatly diminished. Locales with active, knowledgeable film commissions are far more appealing to us as producers... I respectfully request careful consideration of these concerns in deciding the fate of the UK Film Council."