Want $$$ from the BFI for Your Movie? Your Villain Better Not Have a Scar on His Face
Geez, I’m not even sure I want to attempt this slippery slope—but here we go!
The British Film Institute has just announced that it will no longer fund movies that feature a villain with facial scars or other abnormalities. The decision is an offshoot of the #IAmNotYourVillain campaign, a movement aimed at removing the stigma of disfigurement. The campaign alleges that having a villain with a scar has essentially become lazy shorthand, and that cosmetic abnormality should never automatically be associated with ne’er-do-wells.
Ben Roberts, Film Fund Director at the BFI, released the following statement:
“Film has such a powerful influence on society, it enables us to see the world in new ways, enriches lives and can make a vital contribution to our wellbeing. It also is a catalyst for change and that is why we are committing to not having negative representations depicted through scars or facial difference in the films we fund.
It’s astonishing to think that films have used visible difference as a shorthand for villainy so often and for so long. The time has come for this to stop.
The BFI believes that film should be truly representative of the UK, and this campaign speaks directly to the criteria in the BFI Diversity Standards which call for meaningful representations on screen. We fully support Changing Faces’ I Am Not Your Villain campaign and urge the rest of the film industry to do the same.”
Wow. While the announcement is getting folks riled up on both sides of the debate, it simply isn’t a simple issue. I think most horror practitioners would feel hobbled by such a restriction, but maybe it’s a reminder for all filmmakers to strive for more creative (and less overused) depictions of villainy. All in all, I suppose it’s lucky for genre fans that most of the horror movies we enjoy don’t knock on BFI’s door for funding!
What do you guys think of BFI’s stance to no longer fund films that star villains with facial scars? Sound off in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
Source: World of Reel
Categorized:News
