Hull Could Become A Top Movie Location

It looks as though Hull is already reaping the benefits of its high profile success in being chosen as the 2017 UK City of Culture, as representatives from the country's main film organisation have visited the city as it looks to put itself on the UK movie map.

Hull could have a bright future as a film location

The visit by a team from the British Film Institute (BFI) comes just weeks after the city's Old Town was transformed into wartime London during a four-week shoot for a new feature film. Hundreds of people from Hull also worked as extras on the set of Girls' Night Out, which charts the night the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret escaped incognito onto the streets of London to celebrate VE Day.

BFI officials met the team behind the successful 2017 bid and local film-makers to discuss the development potential for the industry in Hull. Also discussed  were forging new links with partner bodies such as Creative Europe, the BBC, Screen Yorkshire, Channel 4, the Arts Council and the British Council were also on the agenda.

Paul Dennis, of the Hull Independent Producers group, which is a new body aiming to help create a film industry in the city, said the BFI visit was a chance to look at what opportunities were available. He said: "We set the group up to ask the question 'can Hull have a film industry?'

"What steps do we have to take to establish one here and what connections do we have to make? We already have so much creative talent here, we need to look at ways of bringing it together and using it to establish an industry. Visits such as this from the BFI are really useful because it helps us make those contacts and we can ask their expertise for what we need to do next."

Councillor Steven Bayes, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for visitor destination and City of Culture, said there was real potential for Hull to follow other cities, such as Belfast, which is now a successful hub for film and TV production for hit shows such as Game Of Thrones.

He said: "We already have a lot of the elements in place here that we need. We have a university that produces a lot of highly skilled people, the growing digital capability and a group of really talented people that can help the creative industry take off here, just like it has in Belfast.

"It's about pulling all those parts of the jigsaw together and creating an environment where it can flourish. City of Culture is good for that because it puts the focus on the city and helps people think of Hull as a place that's good for the creative and digital industries."

BFI partners such as the Film Hub North, Into Film and Creative Skillset also joined the meeting to discuss a potential film programme for 2017, including productions and festivals for the cultural year.

Andrew Dixon, the 2017 bid adviser, said: "Through people such as J Arthur Rank and the Rank organisation, Hull has made a significant contribution to the film industry and, with the UK City of Culture 2017 title, it gives us the opportunity to develop contemporary film- making while looking at our rich film archive.

"Our priority is to engage young people and communities in the film industry and explore the opportunities available to them."