It’s lights, camera, action for Brighton and Hove which has been deemed ‘film friendly’ and become a little Hollywood on the south coast.

Yesterday Brighton and Hove City Council signed Creative England’s Film Friendly Charter meaning the city is now recognised as a hub for the movie industry.

Creative England is an organisation that invests in the creative arts and it hopes the Film Friendly Charter will attract film crews to the city.

 


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Councillor Bill Randall, who signed the charter, said: “A great deal of work goes on behind the scenes by the council to encourage filming and it is very good news we are to be officially recognised as a Film Friendly City.

“It lets the industry know we welcome filming here, helps to showcase the wealth of creative talent we have working here and, most importantly, helps to boost the local economy.

“There is so much going on in Brighton and Hove in relation to cinema and filming and we want to celebrate and build on that.”

Brighton and Hove was one of the birthplaces of the British film industry with numerous pioneers living and working in the city during the golden age of silent cinema.

Pioneers such as George Albert Smith, James Williamson, Alfred Darling and Charles Urban were all making, producing and distributing films made in Brighton and hove through the late 19th and early 20th century.

Smith built one of the earliest British film studios in St Ann’s Well Gardens, Hove, where he invented the first commercially successful colour film technique, Kinemacolor.

Brighton had its first starring role in sound in 1947’s Brighton Rock and starred in remake of the same name in 2010.

The city is also well known as the setting for the classic mod movie Quadrophenia based on a rock opera of the same name by The Who.

Rebecca Snook, production liaison manager at Creative England, said: “We have been working closely with Brighton and Hove City Council to promote the city as a fantastic place to film.

“Not only through sourcing exciting film locations but also supporting crew and facility companies via our networking evenings.

“The partnership will help ensure that the industry has a smooth and efficient filming experience in Brighton and Hove and encourage more film and TV productions to come back for more.”