Wheres the agreement?

Unlike TV dramas and major motion pictures, there is currently no collective agreement in place for feature films with budgets under £30 million — which accounts for the vast majority of films made in the UK. This leaves crew working on low and mid-budget features without standardised working conditions, rates, or protections.

Over the past year, BECTU has been working toward changing that. A dedicated committee — made up of crew across departments — has been negotiating with Pact to create a formal Low Budget Feature Agreement. The goal is to ensure that all freelance crew, regardless of project scale, are protected by fair and consistent terms.

While Pact has acknowledged the need for such an agreement, negotiations have been slow and challenging. Reaching terms that are realistic for both a £1 million indie and a £29 million feature is complex. The current draft, led by the BECTU LBF committee, contains strong protections around overtime, prep/wrap, dailies, and travel — but it’s also ambitious, and Pact has yet to formally engage with it.

This page exists to keep crew informed and engaged. The hope is that with enough industry support, we can secure an agreement that protects freelancers working on the kinds of films that define much of the UK’s creative landscape — especially as new tax incentives for films under £15m come into effect.

🚫 The bottom line?

There is no agreement yet — and that’s a problem. Until one exists, freelance crew have no collective protection on low-budget features. But that also means you’re free to negotiate your own terms — and you should. Review contracts carefully, push for fair conditions, and reach out to BECTU for support when needed.

This gap in protection is a vulnerability — but it’s also a window. Let’s close it, together.