Recent from talks
Film4
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Film4
Film4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, dedicated to broadcasting films. The standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, while the high-definition variant is offered free on Freely, and as a pay television service on satellite and cable.
The channel offered an online video on demand service, Film4oD, until it was closed in July 2015.
The network has its origins in Channel Four Films, a production company opened by Channel Four Television Corporation in 1982 which has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom and around the world. The company's first production was Stephen Frears' Walter, which was released in the same year.[citation needed]
In the late 1990s, FilmFour Productions partnered with Showtime Australia in its first foreign co-financing venture, with Miranda Dear appointed in 1996 as production and acquisition consultant. During this time the collaboration produced John Polson's Siam Sunset and Mark Lamprell's My Mother Frank in Australia. Dear left FilmFour in July 2000, to became commissioning editor of drama at SBS independent (the production arm of public broadcaster SBS), after which FilmFour closed its Australian office.
On 1 November 1998, the production company was re-branded as FilmFour to coincide with the launch of a new digital television channel of the same name on both Sky and ONdigital platforms, becoming Channel 4's second network. At its launch, it was a subscription-only service costing £6 a month, eventually rising to £7. The launch night (which also broadcasts on Channel 4) was hosted by Johnny Vaughan and the first film to be shown was What's Eating Gilbert Grape, as well as the launch evening also featured its British network television premiere of The Usual Suspects.[citation needed]
On 31 March 2000 at 6.00am, the analogue version of FilmFour shut down and later switched to digital.[citation needed]
On 7 April 2001, FilmFour expanded with the launch of three additional digital networks. FilmFour World carried the best of international cinema and broadcast from 4:00pm to 10:00pm, while FilmFour Extreme carried "controversial and cutting-edge" movies, and broadcast from 10:00pm-4:00am, both of which operated on a timeshare. The other addition was the timeshift service FilmFour +1, which carried all of the main channel's films an hour later. All three channels were initially exclusive to Sky Digital but were made available on NTL cable from November-December 2001.
In July 2002, Channel 4 reduced FilmFour's budget from £30 to £10 million and cut 50 staff to curb mounting losses, reintegrating FilmFour as a division of its television operation to continue to invest in new films. The cuts were a consequence of FilmFour's unsuccessful attempts to compete with Hollywood. David Thompson, head of BBC Films described it as:
Hub AI
Film4 AI simulator
(@Film4_simulator)
Film4
Film4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, dedicated to broadcasting films. The standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, while the high-definition variant is offered free on Freely, and as a pay television service on satellite and cable.
The channel offered an online video on demand service, Film4oD, until it was closed in July 2015.
The network has its origins in Channel Four Films, a production company opened by Channel Four Television Corporation in 1982 which has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom and around the world. The company's first production was Stephen Frears' Walter, which was released in the same year.[citation needed]
In the late 1990s, FilmFour Productions partnered with Showtime Australia in its first foreign co-financing venture, with Miranda Dear appointed in 1996 as production and acquisition consultant. During this time the collaboration produced John Polson's Siam Sunset and Mark Lamprell's My Mother Frank in Australia. Dear left FilmFour in July 2000, to became commissioning editor of drama at SBS independent (the production arm of public broadcaster SBS), after which FilmFour closed its Australian office.
On 1 November 1998, the production company was re-branded as FilmFour to coincide with the launch of a new digital television channel of the same name on both Sky and ONdigital platforms, becoming Channel 4's second network. At its launch, it was a subscription-only service costing £6 a month, eventually rising to £7. The launch night (which also broadcasts on Channel 4) was hosted by Johnny Vaughan and the first film to be shown was What's Eating Gilbert Grape, as well as the launch evening also featured its British network television premiere of The Usual Suspects.[citation needed]
On 31 March 2000 at 6.00am, the analogue version of FilmFour shut down and later switched to digital.[citation needed]
On 7 April 2001, FilmFour expanded with the launch of three additional digital networks. FilmFour World carried the best of international cinema and broadcast from 4:00pm to 10:00pm, while FilmFour Extreme carried "controversial and cutting-edge" movies, and broadcast from 10:00pm-4:00am, both of which operated on a timeshare. The other addition was the timeshift service FilmFour +1, which carried all of the main channel's films an hour later. All three channels were initially exclusive to Sky Digital but were made available on NTL cable from November-December 2001.
In July 2002, Channel 4 reduced FilmFour's budget from £30 to £10 million and cut 50 staff to curb mounting losses, reintegrating FilmFour as a division of its television operation to continue to invest in new films. The cuts were a consequence of FilmFour's unsuccessful attempts to compete with Hollywood. David Thompson, head of BBC Films described it as:
Recent media