Clint Eastwood tells British government to reverse course

Legendary Hollywood actor  Clint Eastwood has told British Chancellor George Osbourne not to scrap the UK Film Council.

The Dirty Harry star warned the government that without the support of the council, he would not have made his latest movie Hereafter starring Matt Damon, to be shot in Britain.

"I cannot stress how important the Film Council is to me, Eastwood writes. I have been following the news of its proposed abolition with great interest. The prospect of losing such a valuable resource is of great concern as we contemplate future projects."

This follows a protest from over 50 British actors who condemned the government for threatening a British Success Story .

Eastwood's letter goes on to say: "The Film Council gave us the crucial detailed information we needed to make our decision to shoot in the UK with information on tax credits, availability of crews and other support. Without such assistance in the early stages, the likelihood of a London shoot would have been greatly diminished. Locales with active, knowledgeable film commissions are far more appealing to us as producers. I respectfully request careful consideration of these concerns in deciding the fate of the UK Film Council."

The UK Film Council has been involved with over 900 productions since its creation in 2000 and has been widely praised despite alleged mismanagement from several critics. It costs a reported £3m a year employing 75 people, a fraction of the £6 billion in cuts announced and seen as a political move by some to end the previous government s stamp on the arts.

Clint Eastwood's letter comes as a great boost to those campaigning for the UKFC to remain. News of his outreach will have a great influence on producers in Hollywood considering shooting in the UK. Time will tell whether his letter or that of others will have had an impact.