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Lockdown measures are starting to be eased after more than two months of restrictions. But how is everyday life changing? Here is a lockdown update from BBC:

Can I meet friends and relatives?

From Monday in England, you will be able to meet in groups of up to six people from different households outside – either in parks or now also in private gardens – as long as you remain 2m (6ft) apart.

From Friday in Scotland, members of two different households will be allowed to meet up outdoors if you maintain social distancing. Groups cannot be bigger than eight, and people are “strongly recommended” not to meet more than one other household per day.

In Wales, the BBC understands that people from two different households will be able to meet each other outdoors from Monday.

Groups of four to six people who are not in the same household can meet outdoors in Northern Ireland, although outdoor weddings with 10 people present may be allowed from 8 June.

Can I exercise more?

There is no longer any limit to the amount of time you can spend outside doing exercise, or in “open-air recreation” like sunbathing in England and, from Friday, in Scotland.

Currently, you can play outdoor sports such as golf or tennis with members of your household or with one other person from another household (while maintaining social distance).

From Monday, people in England will also be able to exercise outside with up to five others from different households. That means small groups of sport teams can resume fitness sessions, but social distancing must be maintained.

In Scotland, outdoor activities where physical distancing can be maintained can resume from Friday. This includes golf, tennis, bowls and fishing.

Households can also drive any distance in England to destinations such as parks and beaches. But they should not travel to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, where the rules are different.

Why are rules different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Decisions on easing lockdown in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of each national government.

However, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the lifting of some lockdown measures in the country from 29 May.

As well as meeting people from one other household outside, people will also be able to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas.

It will also be possible to travel – preferably by walking or cycling – for recreation, although people will be asked to remain “where possible” within or close to their own local area.

Rules in Wales are set to be relaxed next week, while any changes in Northern Ireland will be confirmed after the executive meets next Thursday.

Should I go back to work (and how will I get there)?

People who can work from home in England should continue to do so “for the foreseeable future”.

But the government says those who can’t, should travel to their workplace if it is open – and walk, cycle or drive if at all possible, to prevent overcrowding on public transport.

Those who do use buses or trains are being told to expect social-distance queuing and to wear face coverings.

Workplaces should be made safe for staff, with more cleaning, staggered working shifts and, for office workers, no hot-desking.

• How will transport need to change?

What if I go into other people’s homes to work?

If you’re a cleaner or plumber, and need to enter someone else’s home for your job, you are allowed to return to work.

No work should be carried out in the home of someone shielding or isolating because of Covid-19 symptoms, unless it’s a household emergency.

In homes where someone is clinically vulnerable – for example, where a person is aged over 70 – face-to-face contact should be avoided, and strict hygiene rules followed.

What are shielded people being told to do?

People in England and Wales who have been asked to stay at home and shield will be able to spend some time outdoors again from Monday 1 June, while continuing to follow social distancing rules. These people all have health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to coronavirus.

It means those with families will be able to go out once a day with members of their household. People living alone can meet someone from another household while maintaining social distancing – keeping 2 metres apart.

Other parts of the UK have not yet recommended the same.

Can I move home?

House moves and viewings can resume again in England.

Potential buyers and renters will be able to visit show homes and view houses on the market to let or buy.

Anyone who has already bought a new home can visit it to prepare for moving in.

What about childminders, nannies and nurseries?

Childminders and nannies in England have now been told they can return to work – but only if they’re caring for youngsters who come from the same household.

During lockdown, registered childminders have either been closed or providing care for vulnerable children or children of key workers.

The government has said it would like pre-school nurseries in England to start reopening from 1 June.

When will schools and universities return?

The government’s ambition is for all primary school children in England to return to school before the summer for a month if feasible.

In England, pupils in nurseries, early years and Reception and Years 1 and 6 at primary schools will be able to return from 1 June.

Class sizes are expected to be no more than 15 pupils, with staggered breaks and frequent hand washing.

From 15 June, the government says secondary schools and further education colleges will be able to have face-to-face contact with Year 10 and 12 pupils who have key exams next year, in addition to their “continued remote, home learning”.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over whether students will be able to go to university in person in September or whether they will be taught partially or completely online. The university watchdog says new students must be told with “absolute clarity” how they will be taught before accepting a place.

• The government in Wales has ruled out schools reopening on 1 June
• Scotland‘s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that children will return to school on 11 August.
• Some pupils in Northern Ireland will return to school in August

When can I go High Street shopping again?

All non-essential retailers – from department stores to small independent shops – can reopen in England from 15 June, if they put in place social distancing measures.

And outdoor markets and car showrooms can reopen from 1 June, if they are “Covid-secure”.

But the government has said these dates could change if coronavirus infection rates increase.

Garden centres have already reopened in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

They are now due to reopen in Scotland.

DIY chains – some of which stayed open throughout the lockdown – have also reopened many of their shops.

Source: www.bbc.com

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The Film and Television Charity has launched an online mental health platform, available for everyone who works behind the scenes in film, TV and cinema. The online community resource has been developed by Big White Wall and can now be accessed by everyone working behind the scenes in film and TV for free.

What it offers

Now, people can chat with others, get advice, take part in courses and feel connected. This online tool provides a safe space for industry professionals, allowing them to express their thoughts and concerns openly and anonymously.

As well as receiving support in group or one-to-one chats they can also access guided self- help courses on managing a range of mental health difficulties including depression, stress, panic and grief, as well as problem-solving and assertiveness training. The platform –accessed via the charity’s website at filmtvcharity.org.uk /community – also offers self- assessment tools and allows people to track their progress. Community posts are monitored 24/7 to ensure safety and anonymity.

Spread the word. You can access the platform here: https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/we-can-help/community/

The Whole Picture Programme

In light of the Covid-19 crisis, The Film and TV Charity is now accelerating its mental health action plan, known as the Whole Picture Programme. Launched in February after a survey for the Film and TV Charity found 87% of the UK film and TV workforce has experienced a mental health problem, the action plan is being extended rapidly to increase mental health support with wellbeing services developed in partnership with Mind. The Film and TV Charity continues to lead the Film and TV Taskforce on Mental Health, established to implement the Whole Picture Programme.

This comes as The Film and TV Charity distributes much-needed funds to workers and freelancers hit hard by the closure of productions across the UK. A survey 1 for The Film and TV Charity found that more than nine industry freelancers in 10 (93%) were no longer working due to the crisis while three quarters (74%) did not expect to receive any support since they were not eligible for government support schemes or had not been furloughed. Launched last month The Film and TV Charity’s Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund – providing one-off grants of between £500 and £2,500 depending on need – awarded a total of £3 million across 2,000 applicants. A further £140,000 has been distributed via the PRESS RELEASE 2 charity’s long-standing Hardship Fund to nearly 400 people receiving stopgap grants of up to £500 covering essential living costs.

Meanwhile the charity’s free 24-hour Film and TV Support Line, providing advice on mental health as well as financial and legal problems, received over 1,000 calls in April, four times the average number during the two years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alex Pumfrey, CEO of The Film and Television Charity, said: “Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity to reflect on the mental wellbeing of a brilliant, successful and creative community that’s having to cope with the toughest challenges imaginable. The online community we’re launching today gives everyone in film, TV and cinema an opportunity to talk openly and anonymously, giving as well as receiving advice, comfort and support. Coupled with online courses on dealing with mental health difficulties, the online community will provide a much-needed resource for those who feel left out and isolated, and aren’t able to turn to company structures for help.

“As the industry now works out how best to return to work it is vital that we put both physical and mental wellbeing considerations front and centre of our plans for recovery. We need to consider the mental pressures and anxiety that thousands of people in the workforce are experiencing and be conscious of the fact that many will also have unresolved financial problems. The Film and TV Charity will continue to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing in our industry, and do all we can to support people through, and out of the current crisis.”

Online survey conducted by The Film and TV Charity completed by 1,895 people between 31 March and 3 April 2020

Source: The Film and TV Charity 

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We Are One: A Global Film Festival is a free 10-day online festival, exclusively on YouTube. It was born out of the idea that the film community can come together in times of crises – both in celebration of films and in support by providing much needed relief for COVID-19 efforts. The 10-day online festival is curated by the world’s most esteemed film festivals, seen below. It runs from May 29 – June 7 on www.youtube.com/weareone.

Each film or program will have a first screening at a scheduled time but don’t worry if you miss it! Many of the films will then be available on VOD to watch at your leisure through the course of the festival. You can find the We Are One Global Festival full schedule here.

All the films and programs are available for free during this limited time to raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

Participating Festivals:

Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival, International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM), International Film Festival Rotterdam, Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Venice Film Festival.

Source: www.weareoneglobalfestival.com

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U.K. cinemas won’t be reopening sooner than July 4, according to new coronavirus recovery guidance put out by the government on Monday afternoon.

The 60-page document, entitled “Our Plan to Rebuild,” sets out that cinemas are part of a “high-risk” group of businesses that will be the last to reopen from July 4 onwards.

In Step Three of the plan, cinemas and other “leisure facilities” will be able to open alongside personal care businesses such as hairdressers and beauty salons; hospitality venues such as food service providers, pubs and accommodation; and public places such as places of worship.

All businesses will need to meet the government’s COVID-19 Secure guidelines for their respective sectors, which are expected to be unveiled this week. However, even after July 4, it is not guaranteed that all venues will be able to open.

“Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to re-open safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part,” reads the government plan. “Nevertheless, the government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as the data and information at the time allows.”

The government, which first hinted at the timeline for cinemas in an address by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday night, has also said it will “carefully phase and pilot re-openings” to test a venue’s ability to adhere to new guidelines.

Last week, Variety revealed that exhibitors and industry orgs such as the U.K. Cinema Association (UKCA), which represents more than 90% of the U.K.’s cinema operators, were proposing a late June reopening date to the government.

That proposal, however, drew concern among some in the industry and particularly small independent operators, who are anxious about an uneven playing ground between themselves and big multiplexes such as Vue and Odeon, which have the resources to open up sooner.

The UKCA on Monday suggested it was satisfied with the July 4 date, despite its confidence that the country’s cinemas will be prepared to reopen ahead of this time.

UKCA chief executive Phil Clapp told Variety: “We have made clear to the U.K. government — and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — that, on the basis of our understanding of the safeguards that will need to be in place before cinemas can safely open, most venues will be ready to do so by the end of June. Today’s suggestion that this might be considered around 4 July is therefore welcome.

“But we recognize that there are a host of wider public health considerations which mean that that may not be possible, and we will of course respond accordingly. Whenever cinemas are able once again to re-open, it is clear that all venues will need continued government support until such time as business returns to something approaching normal levels of activity.”

Source: variety.com

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It’s been one year since Film Birmingham launched its ShortFuse film night to celebrate the filmmaking talent of the West Midlands.

We’re celebrating with an online film discussion with the award-winning team behind “Beverley”, a short film which unites a host of British talent in a gritty, stylish coming-of-age story. With 2-Tone music as the cultural backdrop to the film, the journey of Beverley (Skins star Laya Lewis)  from ghetto to suburbia symbolises the death of one chapter in British history and the birth of another. Beverley also stars This is England’s BAFTA winning actress Vicky McClure, and Sennia Nanua. Register here.

Director Alexander Thomas (The UnDream, Entropy) works with producer Cass Pennant, and the two will join our online Q&A, taking questions from the public.

‘Beverley’ Synopsis

Beverley follows a mixed race girl’s struggle to carve out a sense of identity in a confusing, shifting cultural landscape – 1980 Leicester. A move from the decaying, poverty-stricken, urban environment to the relative comfort and theoretical safety of white suburbia does not provide the hope and opportunities Bev may have wished for. A familiar enemy is ever present – a threat that extends beyond her own safety, as she must also protect her brother and sister. By asserting her will and using her guile Bev tries to shape her new environment into something palatable, but the result is the opposite of what she is trying to achieve.

Cast: Sennia Nanua, Vicky McClure, Corey Trevor, Laya Lewis, King Sounds, Neville Staple, Christine Staple, Winston Ellis

Join the event

RSVP to this virtual event here to keep updated on this Q&A. You are invited to watch the film here and tune in with your comments and questions on May 26th, at 7pm. You can also send the questions beforehand to shortfuse@filmbirmingham.co.uk with “Beverley Q&A” in the subject line.

About ShortFuse

In our bi-monthly evenings at Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen, we’ve screened award-winning and emerging films, with special filmmaker Q&A sessions. ShortFuse accepts submissions for our film nights on an ongoing basis. If you would like to have your film featured among our future screened shorts, please see more info.

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Films that premiere online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic will be eligible for the European Film Awards (EFAs) for the first time.

In an “exceptional” change to the rules, the European Film Academy will also shift the date by which a film should have premiered from May 31 to November 30, 2020. This is under the condition right-holders agree to make the film available on the EFA VoD platform for the 3,800 film professionals across Europe who vote for the nominations and award recipients. It will mean films that would have debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, which was due to start today (May 12), will remain eligible if they line up a premiere before the end of November.

Previously, the rules stated the official screening of a film should take place at a festival or cinema between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. However, the closure of theatres around the world as a result of the Covid-19 crisis has seen several films bypass the cinema and debut on VoD platforms.

EFA chairman Mike Downey said of the rule change: “We cannot ignore the dramatic changes the pandemic has brought to the film industry. Many premieres had to be rescheduled, postponed or moved online. We are therefore exceptionally changing the eligibility rules for the EFAs 2020 to allow those films that could not premiere as planned to still be recognised. One thing remains sure, the European Film Academy remains committed to European cinema and its creators… Hopefully, we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.”

This year’s 33^rd European Film Awards will take place in Reykjavik, Iceland on December 12 and submissions are now open, with an entry deadline of May 31.

Last year’s awards took place in Berlin and saw Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite win eight prizes, including best film.

Source: www.screendaily.com

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Film and television production in the UK are permitted to restart providing all involved abide by social distancing guidelines, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed to Screen.

The change comes as part of the government’s latest guidelines for the coronavirus pandemic, which include the instruction “All workers who cannot work from home should travel to work if their workplace is open.”

Workplaces that do reopen – including screen productions – should “ensure employees can maintain a two-metre distance from others, and wash their hands regularly”, according to the Covid-19 guidelines on the government’s website.

The full Covid-19 Secure guidelines will be published later this week, and productions will have to comply fully with them to be allowed to restart.

Additionally, the industry-wide consultation on new filming protocols and insurance issues is due to close this Friday, May 15.

The news that productions can restart within guidelines will be a welcome boost to the UK industry. All physical film production has been shut down since the country went into lockdown on March 23.

“The government is working closely with the screen sector to understand how different types of productions can comply with social distancing guidelines, and give confidence to people in the TV and film industries that there are safe ways in which they can return to work,” a DCMS spokesperson told Screen.

Source: www.screendaily.com

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A disused college building in Birmingham is set to be transformed into a 400-pupil facility for those wanting a career in TV, film or theatre. The city council-owned building at 46 to 48 Stour Street was previously the Ladywood Centre of the former South Birmingham College (now South and City College Birmingham).

Now it is planned to become a new free school run by Birmingham Ormiston Academy, an independent state-funded academy which already runs a city centre site for 14 to 19-year-olds.

The new facility would cater for 400 pupils aged 16 and over wishing to enter TV, film or theatre, according to a report from council officers to the cabinet. The report states an estimated 10,000 extra secondary school places need to be provided by 2024, and the council would fail to do this if the proposal doesn’t go ahead. The college surrendered the lease to the council last year, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has since proposed buying it to allow it to allow it to become a free school.

Report authors Jaswinder Didially, the council’s head of education infrastructure, and Azmat Mir, head of property consultancy, recommend the cabinet authorises the sale for £2.7 million.

The report states: “Options are being explored for expansion across our current secondary school supply. However, with significantly fewer secondary schools (87 schools) than primary schools (302 schools) it is evident that the council will not be able to meet all of our needs within our existing estate. The council are therefore looking to the Government’s Free School programme to support us to deliver additional secondary schools and school places.

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk

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