2011 was a fantastic year for the British film industry. Not only were there a series of critically acclaimed movies, including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Attack the Block, Senna, Shame, and Submarine, but there were also several commercial smashes.The most notable success was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2, as it made a staggering s73 million in the UK alone. The thrilling climax of J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series also broke several British cinema records, as it became the highest-grossing 3D film, had the biggest opening weekend ever, and achieved the highest revenue in advanced ticket sales.

Other successful British films include The Kings Speech, which starred Colin Firth and grossed an amazing s45.7 million, along with the hilarious Inbetweeners Movie, which raked in an impressive s45 million as well.

These fantastic pictures clearly excited the cinema-going public, as The British Film Institute have recently revealed that the UK box-office took s1 billion in 2011. With 171.6 million cinema tickets sold throughout the year, total admissions were up by 1.4% from 2010. But most importantly, 8 of the top 20 grossing films released in 2011 were made in the UK.

But what does this all mean?

Clearly, a healthy film industry is a tremendous boost to the UK, as it was able to contribute s4.6 billion to the economy last year. The study, which was carried out by Oxford Economics, also shows that the British film industry supported approximately 44,000 jobs in 2011. This was an overall increase of about 8,000 people from 2009.

There are even plans to further increase the productivity of the British film industry, as Pinewood Shepperton has put together a s200 million expansion plan. Although this was rejected by the local authorities in January, the movie studio is in the process of preparing a new application.

Yet the UK needs to invest more in the short film industry, as it is poised to become one of the most important mediums in the 21st century. Perhaps this lack of enthusiasm for shorts films is borne from the perception that they are difficult to monetise, and are consequently not profitable.

Well the economics of short films are changing, as they are no longer arty flicks only for the select few film students and critics to enjoy. This is because platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Kickstarter have given a new lease of life to short film distribution and production.

This, combined with the fact that short films are becoming the standard form of communication for businesses and cultural institutions, ensures that short films could benefit every single industry in the UK.

Although there has been plenty of work to ensure the success of the UK film industry, it should be clear that there is still more to be done. A further investment in British short film will help to further boost the economy, and help to provide more jobs in the UK.