Brighton & Hove City Council leader Jason Kitcat on the ‘Film Hub’ of the South East

During the turn of the 20th century, Brighton & Hove played a pivotal role in the film industry. The ‘Brighton School’ of filmmakers were among the world’s first movie pioneers – making, producing, distributing and marketing major films as early as 1897.

This rich cinematic heritage has been recognised through our designation by the British Film Institute as a ‘Film Hub’ for the South East. Our successful bid is a real testament to the joint work of city council officers, the University of Brighton, the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, and local arts organisation Lighthouse. We now have £900,000 over the next four years to provide advice and support to the film industry in our region.

Brighton & Hove has over the years appeared in many featured films – most famously Brighton Rock. However the demand to use our city as a filming location has soared, and extends beyond movies to include productions such as music videos, TV programmes and advertisements.

In fact we now get around 300 requests a year to film in public spaces. Council staff work hard to ensure filming runs smoothly and to help with practical arrangements such as road closures and ensuring local residents and businesses are kept up to date about developments.

As well as offering a variety of easily-accessible locations in front of the camera, our city is also host to many local creative and digital companies that support film production, including sound and lighting experts, producers and directors, and scenery design artists. So as part of our commitment to being a ‘Film Friendly’ city, we’re setting up a citywide database of local businesses for when film teams come to shoot in Brighton & Hove.

All of this means a higher profile for Brighton & Hove on screen as a visitor destination, and a clear statement that we are a place for filmmakers to bring their business.
For more details: www.filmcitybrighton.org