A new strategy sets out big plans to grow film production skills, boost talent, and develop new businesses around the region
Filmmakers love shooting big budget films in Hull, but do productions need to better utilise the region’s talent?(Image: GRIMSBY NEWS & PICTURES AGENCY LTD)
The regional organisation responsible for bringing many film productions to Hull has launched a new growth strategy to further boost Yorkshire as a filmmaking destination. The strategy sets out plans to grow production skills, boost talent, and develop new businesses around the region.
The ambitious three-year plan will strengthen Yorkshire’s position as one of the UK’s leading centres for film, television and screen content. The strategy marks the next phase in the development of the local screen economy at a time of great technological change.
Hull has become known as ‘Hullywood’ due to the number of large-scale film productions that have taken place in the city over recent years. In the past decade residents have seen several huge productions take over the city streets for days at a time, such as:
- Blitz was made here in 2024: a major film directed by award-winning Sir Steve McQueen and starring Stephen Graham. As part of the production Hull’s Old Town, Paragon Railway Station, and Hepworth Arcade were all transformed to look like 1940s blitzed London.
- Enola Holmes 2 was made here in 2022. Netflix’s mystery sequel featured Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and Superman Henry Cavill in street scenes along Hull’s historic High Street.
- The Personal History of David Copperfield was shot in Hull in 2019. Directed by Armando Iannucci, the Dickens adaptation utilised the cobbled streets and Georgian architecture of Hull’s Old Town.
- The next major Hull-made film heading to cinemas is called Black Palace and is due to be released in 2027. Created for Netflix and starring Martin Clunes, it is set during Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror in London and tells the story from inside Buckingham Palace
But Screen Yorkshire’s new strategy argues that attracting production is no longer enough. Traditional commissioning models are under pressure, there is increasing global competition and new technologies are changing how films and content are financed, produced and consumed.
So, Screen Yorkshire is setting out a broader ambition: to ensure that more of the long-term economic and creative value generated by the screen industries remains in the region.
It wants to grow more local businesses and develop Yorkshire’s national and international profile to unlock wider economic value. A major focus will be moving Yorkshire beyond a production service economy towards a stronger creator economy, supporting local companies and talent to originate ideas, develop content, retain intellectual property and build businesses capable of competing in national and international markets.
Building on region’s ‘extraordinary’ screen successes
Caroline Cooper Charles, CEO of Screen Yorkshire, said the strategy could have a transformational impact for filmmaking talent and people with big ideas in the region.
“Yorkshire has built an extraordinary screen success story over the past decade, but we can’t afford to stand still,” she said. “The industry is changing rapidly, and our ambition for the region must evolve with it.”
“The next phase is about more than bringing productions to Yorkshire. We want to create the conditions for ideas to originate here, for businesses to grow here and for more of the intellectual property and long-term value created by our screen industries to stay here. By 2029, we want Yorkshire to be known not only as one of the best places in the UK to make content, but as a place where content is created, owned and grown.”
Companies and filmmakers from across the region are going to be supported to get a bigger slice of the action, by the Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, Luke Campbell, who said: “I want to see a lot more film and TV made up North, and Hull and East Yorkshire should be getting a much bigger share of it.”
Mayor Campbell explained film production could deliver jobs and an economic impact in unexpected ways. “People see the actors and cameras, but behind that you’ve got electricians, carpenters, joiners, drivers, caterers, technicians, set builders and local production companies. That’s proper work for local people and money going into local businesses,” he said.
“I’ve visited Northern Films and seen some of the talent we’ve already got here. We’ve also got young people coming through our colleges and projects like UNTHINKABLE we’ve supported via the Community Fund. For me the next step is joining all that up so when productions come here, more of the jobs, skills and money stay here. I don’t want Hull just being a good backdrop – I want us building the industry around it as well.”
The Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) has laid out bold ideas for Hull’s growing Film & TV profile in its Local Growth Plan and is backing companies to build the local supply chain so more of the value from productions is retained here.
Through the Mayor’s Community Fund the organisation has recently awarded £4,000 to the Hull film and art festival UNTHINKABLE for its Community Film Skills & Mobile Cinema Programme. This will develop screen skills for young people aged 16 to 25-years-old. It is also working with the HEY Growth Hub, which brings together smaller businesses, creative industries freelancers and independents rather than huge companies.
Backing Hull’s wealth of talent
Hull City Council leaders have been working with Screen Yorkshire on the new strategy and said they were confident it would help talent from the region flourish. Cllr Jackie Dad, deputy leader of Hull City Council and portfolio holder for culture, said: “Hull has a wealth of filmmaking talent and the new strategy will further encourage growth in the sector.
“In recent years the council’s events and destinations teams have built incredibly strong relationships with Screen Yorkshire and the production teams they work with, to help strengthen the reputation of Hull as a prime location. The strategy will assist with giving us a greater regional presence which is very welcome as we have a lot to offer.”
She said Hull was far more than a film set, and encouraged producers and directors from around the world to look closely for local talent from Hull when planning film productions here.
“As a city we provide more than just somewhere that looks great – we have a full professional set-up, which includes our TV and Film online prospectus and on-location support for companies with everything from location scouting, through to road closure and licence applications,” Cllr Dad added.
The economic impact of filmmaking in Hull should not be underestimated, she said. “Having these large-scale productions in the city is not just fantastic for our residents to see and be part of – it has a real financial benefit to the city.
“With crews filling our hotel spaces and using our leisure and hospitality offer, most productions will recruit extras from the local area too. This brings in upwards of £250,000 direct spend across the city’s hospitality, retail and accommodation sectors.”
And Screen Yorkshire are in Hull this weekend for UNTHINKABLE
Screen Yorkshire will also continue to attract and support film and television production through its Film Office and the Yorkshire Content Fund. The Fund has invested more than £24.4 million in local film and television production, leveraging more than £234 million in production spend.
The Screen Yorkshire team are in Hull this weekend for the final few days of the UNTHINKABLE film festival. Among the festival highlights is a film industry skills event at the new Middle Child theatre space on Humber Street on Saturday October 10th.
It will answer questions for emerging talent and help people access screen-focused skills and training. Collaboration, funding and accessibility will be key themes for the event.
To find planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more, visit the Public Notices Portal.