Andrew Falconer is the Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion. He has worked as a researcher on the environment in the House of Commons, as well as his party’s trade and industry and international development teams. He’s a member of the Howard League for Penal Reform, the Prison Reform Trust and the Prisoner Education Trust. Andrew works as a careers adviser in higher education and lives with his long-term partner.

What was the last film you saw?

‘I went to see Up in 3D in London recently. I have a soft spot for animation and am a huge fan of Pixar. I was a bit worried when Disney took over Pixar, but I’m pleased that both Disney and Pixar seem on form with their releases. I’d never seen a 3D film before and the experience was wonderful – so many characters dancing right in front of your eyes.’

Is there a movie character who has inspired you?

‘There are several. At the risk of sounding clichéd, the character of Maurice from the Merchant Ivory production of E M Forster’s posthumous classic. Throughout the film Maurice is seen as weak and the most easily influenced of the characters – offset against Clive, who appears to have great self-analytical abilities, and his sister Eda who he manipulates. But Maurice becomes the strong character to defy social convention, tangible wealth and standing to be with his partner. OK, so it is clichéd then, isn’t it? On another note, I also rather find Scrat from Ice Age inspirational. Scrat perseveres against all adversary to get the acorn. I’m not sure I would have had such dedication!’

What's your favourite film?

‘My interest in politics developed through Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom. I saw it first as a two-part serialisation on BBC1 and then saw the film. It has never lost its impact on me. It’s ironic that some scenes were filmed in Zimbabwe and now, of course, the situation is reversed. If I can cheat with this question I would also add Priest, the BBC production by Antonia Bird. The film follows a gay Catholic priest in Liverpool who struggles to balance his absolute faith with the realities of suffering communities and his own identity.’

In The Loop: satirical fantasy or too close for comfort?

‘Can I live up to perception and sit on the fence with this one? Having worked in Westminster and known civil servants working in Private Office, I think this is verging on being too close to comfort. I loved the scene where a junior UK minister has 20 minutes with the US Secretary of State and they sit uncomfortably wondering why they are there. I think this will become a proper political classic.’

Who's your big-screen sex symbol?

‘Gosh, how long have you got? Omar Sharif in his Lawrence Of Arabia days, Rupert Graves in Maurice (of course) and Colin Firth in, erm, anything!’

What plans do the Liberal Democrats have for the funding of British cinema?

‘Funding of British cinema is a complex process. I’d love to be able to say that the Liberal Democrats would continue to support the industry through the Film Tax Relief scheme, but I don’t think any party is really able to go into that level of detail with the economic pressures as they are. That said, the industry is worth well over £1 billion to the British economy, so I don’t sense any appetite to change the existing rules either. The UK Film Council has suggested that the abolition of the Film Tax Relief scheme would cost Britain 75 per cent of its current film output. However, Britain must remain competitive. Of the major location markets, filming in the Czech Republic is estimated to cost less than 25 per cent of UK costs. The competitiveness crosses a wide range of industries and the complex supply chain, including pre and post production.’

Do you think film has an important role to play in the local community?

‘Absolutely. My sister was telling me about the Saturday film club she takes her five-year-old son to every month and the sense of families getting together for the occasion. But it goes wider than that. Cinema has the ability to either alienate or include. For example, I would encourage more cinemas to take advantage of funding from the UK Film Council and other organisations to improve accessibility for disabled people – either through subtitles or providing physical access. I also feel that even the large multiplex cinemas should do more to provide a greater diversity in the films they show – Brighton’s population isn’t homogenous and our film tastes aren’t either. Film, of course, is wider than cinema. YouTube and other Web 2.0 facilities have made developing your own film more accessible. Perhaps there is potential for local cinemas to showcase some of these local amateur productions.’

Re censorship, is the BBFC getting it right or do there need to be changes?

‘I don’t know, to be honest – it never seems to be consistent. Anecdotally, I’ve seen films rated 15 that seem tamer than some 12s or even PGs. Mind you, I sometimes think the special effects and some of the themes in Doctor Who are quite adult. At the end of the day, it’s local authorities who either take the advice of the BBFC or not. And whilst the BBFC has an expertise, local councils take - no matter how tokenistic - the final decision. My alma mater of Aberystwyth finally showed The Life Of Brian for the first time last year because in 1979 the town council voted to ban it.’

Is the planned remake of Brighton Rock a good idea?

‘I’m sure this will be sacrilegious for some people, but why not? Some remakes do work (OK, so perhaps not The Italian Job) and can expose a whole new audience to the story. I admit that I haven’t seen the original, so maybe I’m more open to how a modern director would portray the novel on screen.’

And who would you like to play you in Andrew Falconer: The Movie?

‘What a horrible question! Well, Richard Griffiths could play the self-deprecating Andrew and Jude Law the Andrew that I wish I could be! Does that count?!’

Colin Houlson