• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Tuesday September 27 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Film and TV production in Bristol generated £20 million last year – the highest figure for a decade

Film and TV production in the city generated an estimated £20.8 million in 2021-22, according to figures released by the Bristol Film Office today (Tuesday).

Am I Being Unreasonable?, The Outlaws (pictured), Chloe, Showtrial, and The Girl Before are just some of the screen hits made in Bristol which contributed towards a total revenue of £20,857,000 in the 2021/22 financial year, a £3.8 million (22 per cent) increase on the previous full 12-month total of £17 million recorded in 2019-20.

The amount of filming that took place in the city was up by 10 per cent, with 1,067 filming days carried out in the city at the Bristol City Council-owned Bottle Yard Studios and/or on location assisted by Bristol Film Office, the Council department that provides free support to productions working in the city.

A total of 709 licenses were issued by Bristol Film Office, permitting filming to take place on Council-owned streets, properties and green spaces.

The 2021-22 figures are the first annual stats released by Bristol Film Office that illustrate an uninterrupted 12-month period of post-pandemic recovery for Bristol film and TV production.

2020-21’s annual total of £12.6 million was lower than in preceding years, due to the three- month pause in production enforced in the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Senior film manager Laura Aviles of Bristol City Council, who oversees Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios, said: “These figures paint an extremely healthy picture for Bristol’s thriving film and TV sector.

“£20.8 million is the highest economic contribution generated by film and High-End TV production that we’ve seen in a decade, since the BBC took the decision to move Casualty’s production to Cardiff in 2011.

“The numbers were no surprise to our Film Office and Bottle Yard staff. We knew that production had kicked back into gear quickly after the production pause during the first lockdown in 2020.

“Since then, our teams have been busier than ever supporting productions on the ground. The skilled crew, companies and facilities we work alongside, all play a vital role in making Bristol one of the most film-friendly cities in the UK.

“With The Bottle Yard’s new TBY2 facility opening this Autumn, Bristol’s capacity for production is increasing significantly and we look forward to supporting more titles in the year ahead.”

Councillor Craig Cheney, deputy mayor and cabinet member for finance, governance and performance, said: “Bristol’s film and TV sector is a valuable contributor not only to the city’s fiscal economy but to our social economy too.

“Despite the industry continuing to recover to its full strength post-pandemic, it’s clear to see the value brought to Bristol through the hundreds of productions supported this year.

“I’m delighted to see the sector continue to go from strength to strength and applaud the continued efforts of the Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios in supporting this sector growth and continuing to meet our ambitions as a UNESCO City of Film.”