Yorkshire welcomes 'dramatic' increase in film and TV productions

Yorkshire is proving to be a very attractive destination for companies making feature films and TV shows, as the amount spent on productions in the region rose by almost £130m over three years.
Suranne Jones playing Anne Lister in the hit TV series Gentlemen Jack, which is shot in YorkshireSuranne Jones playing Anne Lister in the hit TV series Gentlemen Jack, which is shot in Yorkshire
Suranne Jones playing Anne Lister in the hit TV series Gentlemen Jack, which is shot in Yorkshire

British Film Institute (BFI) research shows spending increased by 121 per cent to £235m between 2017 and 2019, and across the UK it rose by 74 per cent to £13.86bn.

Sally Joynson, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire, which helps to bring productions to the region, said: “This report reflects what we’ve been seeing on the ground, reinforced by the number of enquiries our Film Office has received from both UK and international producers.

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“The dramatic levels of production growth and investment in Yorkshire and Humber outlined here for 2017-19 show every sign of continuing and we are busier than ever."

Actor Tom Cruise flew into the village of Levisham, in the North York Moors, earlier this year to film scenes for Mission Impossible 7Actor Tom Cruise flew into the village of Levisham, in the North York Moors, earlier this year to film scenes for Mission Impossible 7
Actor Tom Cruise flew into the village of Levisham, in the North York Moors, earlier this year to film scenes for Mission Impossible 7

In the new report titled ‘Screen Business’, the BFI said film production in the UK is “focused” around London, where there are a range of specialist facilities and services, but filmmakers also spent around £1.18bn outside the capital between 2017 and 2019.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, the investment created 2,204 full-time jobs and brought an economic boost of around £143.9m in 2019.

In that year, spending on high-end TV series brought 1,735 jobs and a £75.6m economic boost.

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The report also stated that productions “with a strong sense of place”, such as Gentleman Jack and All Creatures Great and Small, have “attracted large numbers of visitors to the region”.

Yorkshire continues to attract big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, the report adds, as in 2021 it provided the backdrop for films such as Mission Impossible 7 and Indiana Jones 5.

The report stated that across the UK, spending on TV and film productions reached £13.86bn in 2019, thanks to tax reliefs introduced by the Government to support the industry.

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This brought £13.48bn to the UK economy and created 219,000 jobs, it added.

Spending on high-end TV productions hit £2.08bn in 2019 - more than five times more than the amount spent (£392.8m) in 2013 when a tax relief was introduced.

And spending on feature films reached £2.02bn in 2019, which means it has more than doubled in the 12 years since the film tax relief was introduced.

The report adds: “The screen industries pre-pandemic has enabled the production sector to bounce back so effectively and become one of the UK’s strongest booming industries with £4.7bn production spend on film and high-end television alone from January to September 2021.”

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Ben Roberts, BFI chief executive, said: “We work with industry and Government to build the UK screen sector, and Screen Business is evidence of the strength of the tax reliefs and how they have supported a staggering level of production and jobs, and built business across the UK’s nations and regions.

“It’s a testament to this strength that our screen industries have bounced back faster than almost any other industry post pandemic.

“As we look to the future we need to ensure that we stay on top of our game – by building the skilled workforce this level of production critically needs and increasing investment in areas across the UK where there are opportunities for growth and innovation.”

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