Film: Jessica Kellgren-Hayes on Championing the local

From double bills of classic films at the Duke of York’s to the CineCity festival – not to mention the huge number of media types living in the city! – Brighton is known for its filmic aura. What many people don’t know is that not only is our lovely seaside city a media town today, but over a hundred years ago it was also a pioneer in early cinema.

During the early silent era many films were made in Brighton and Hove, making use of our beautiful natural light and gorgeous scenery. In 1896, the first year of production, more than two dozen films were shot in Brighton, often topographical single-shot films set between the two piers. Strangely, the Royal Pavilion, which some might think would be the prime location for filming (and tourists certainly do if the number of photographs they take of it are to be considered), does not appear to have been filmed at all during the early years! As multi-shot narrative films became the norm, our recognisable settings were usurped by studio sets with glass ceilings to light the action with bright sun rays.

The interiors and gardens of our charming townhouses were also featured prominently.
The name ‘Brighton’ may have gone on to replace ‘Hollywood’ in the filmmaker’s lexicon
For almost two decades, at the dawn of film production, Brighton and Hove was one of the leading centres of film export in the world. Audiences in the United States in particular were enamoured with our quaint seaside town, and the name ‘Brighton’ may have gone on to replace ‘Hollywood’ in the filmmaker’s lexicon were it not for Thomas Edison and others, who undermined sales of European films to American cinemas.

Although Brighton remains a prime setting for both film and television productions, these have largely been based in London, using our streets as mere scenery. This is why LatestTV is such an exciting new opportunity for Brighton; our programmes are Brighton-based, made by Brightonians and represent the true flavour of the city. The channel will be championing local films, helping new filmmakers find an audience, and pointing out the gems that may have been missed. PostFeature, the film chat and review show I present with Joseph Gunn, will inform you about the best new releases out in Brighton cinemas and even includes a bit of film history for those looking to broaden their knowledge base. Sunday nights are Film Night on channel 8 and this column will be sure to let you know all about the films that are to be shown – I can tell you now, you won’t want to miss them.

No longer will the amazing, raw filmmaking talent in our city be forced into commuting to London. We are on our way to putting Brighton, once again, on the world stage!