POLICY COMMITTEE
THURS. 19th SEPT

NON-THEATRICAL FILM DISTRIBUTION

(Paper supplied by the Films Division)

Under instruction from the Director General the Films Division has revised its Non-Theatrical Distribution Scheme.

The Scheme as it will now operate provides for:-

1. 76 MOBILE REGIONAL UNITS

These Units are being allocated in varying proportions to the twelve regions. Each Unit will operate from a central point in the region and will serve not only the immediate urban area, but penetrate as far as possible into the rural areas, including those not catered for by the public cinema. In the urban areas their function will be chiefly to link up with propaganda campaigns organised by this and other Ministries; in these cases the audience will comprise largely existing Clubs, Societies and Lecture and Educational Organisations meeting in their own premises. In the rural areas a more varied programme will be given to a more general audience, and an effort will be made to provide a lighter and less educational or informative programme especially in those areas not served by the public cinema.

A Film Officer has been appointed in each region as an Assistant to the R.I.O. and it will be his main function to organise the operation of these Units.

2. 50 UNITS ON LOAN TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Fifty projectors are being loaned to local Government Organisations; these are chiefly Public Libraries. The projectors will be loaned free of charge and regular programmes of films will be supplied. This project aims to extend the efficacy of the Public Library as an Information Service and a Community Centre. The Regional Film Officer will supervise the operation of this part of the Scheme, and will help to align it with the campaigns in the regions. This loan of projectors should result in the establishment of 50 non-theatrical cinemas in which individuals and groups can see specially prepared programmes of Ministry of Information films and others of general propaganda value and war-time interest.

3. CENTRAL FILM LIBRARY

The G.P.O. Film Library and the Empire Film Library have been amalgamated and will include all the Ministry of Information films. The new Library will be known as the Central Film Library, and will work under the guidance of the Films Division.

4. FREE LOAN OF FILMS

Through the Central Film Library 16mm. prints will be loaned free of charge to approved borrowers who own their own projectors.

In general, the effect of the revision of the scheme is:-

(a) to curtail the estimated expenditure by £42,000 by abandoning the project to hire Units to travel round outlying districts.

(b) to concentrate the day-to-day conduct of all non-theatrical shows in the hands of the Regional Information Officer. The abandonment of the proposal to loan projectors to voluntary organisations makes an additional number of projectors available as Mobile Regional Units, which come under the direct control of the R.I.0. This closer association with the Regional Information Office may prove to be very valuable in view of the now more imminent possibility of a breakdown in national communication.

5. NATURE OF FILMS

These have been specially made for the purpose at the instigation or with the concurrence of other departments, The great majority of these films will not be suitable for exhibition in public cinemas.

J.B.

A List is attached.

18th September,1940.