Over the last few months various publications and government culture agencies have been celebrating the growth and success of the British Film Industry, but think about this pilgrim.... Between 1995 and 2000 the Arts Council spent over £97,000,000...that's ninety seven million pounds...of NationalLottery money on film production and the net return for this investment so far is £7,000,000... not profit but net return.....so they lost 90 million pounds ! But maybe the films will earn the money back...well not really, you see most of them haven't got distribution deals and the ones that have died at the box office, because they were pups. So was the £90 million totally wasted ? Where did all that money go ? It went into the film industry to support all the talented writers, directors, producers, technicians, administrators, actors etc. It was a kind of wealth distribution from those who work in mindless, demeaning, low-paid jobs and dream of escaping into fantasy to those in dynamic, glamourous, overpaid jobs in an industry which is a fucking fantasy.

I mean get this ...you pay taxes which funds the state agencies, then you buy a Lottery ticket and that money goes to the agencies who make films with it and then you go to the cinema to see the film which costs you £6. So you pay three times for these films and they're not even any fucking good !

To save face over this monumental debacle the government created the Film Council, an all new organisation which replaces all previous State funding agencies and has effectively stifled all debate over the missing millions.

MEANWHILE underground filmmakers working with only hundreds of pounds of their own money are making films which knock the Lottery dvivel into a cocked hat !! When I think of how many brilliant underground films could have been made for nine hundred million pounds it makes blood come out of my eyes* !!!! BUT the underground doesn't even want this sad handout...all we want is the chance to get our films into cinemas and video shops where we can earn enough money to make some more films.

Untill then....

KICK OUT THE SHAMS

* some lizards actually do this.