Long before Hollywood was even a gleam in some movie mogul’s eye, film was fun in Hove.

Pioneers were producing short comedy films which had been shot in locations such as St Ann’s Well Gardens from the 1890s onwards.

The leading duo, George Albert Smith and James Williamson, were soon the forgotten men of film as further advances were made without them.

But they were recognised belatedly in the 1950s and Smith, now over 90, was able to see the formation of the British Film Institute.

Other early film-makers such as William Friese-Greene and Charles Urban were also in Brighton. They all helped the new medium take huge strides including the early use of colour.

Nearby Shoreham also became a centre for film, and many fine shorts were made in this unpromising bungaloid location.

Brighton was one of the first towns to boast a proper picture palace in the Duke of York’s at Preston Circus which fortunately is still with us.

It built super cinemas such as the Regent in Queen’s Road, the Savoy in East Street and the Astoria in Gloucester Place. They were glamorous buildings seating up to 3,000 people and they made each showing special.

Brighton also became a favoured location for film-making as it offered good light, wonderful settings and the ever changing sea.

One of the best known films based in Brighton saw the debut of Richard Attenborough but caused controversy by depicting the resort as sleazy.

But Brighton Rock, based on the Graham Greene novel, brought tremendous publicity to the town.

Attenborough’s first movie as a director was Oh! What a Lovely War filmed partly on the West Pier. The veteran actor still says it is his favourite film.

Quadrophenia, based on music by the Who, has been a cult film ever since its release, and was extensively filmed in Brighton.

Genevieve, hugely popular in the 1950s, is a cuddly film about the London to Brighton veteran car run.

Many other films are shot in Brighton and the city receives 300 requests annually for providing public places – from narrow alleys to broad beaches for anything from a commercial to an epic.

The popularity of film has led to a flourishing industry in Brighton with companies doing everything from film-making to manufacturing lighting.

For many years, film buffs such as Dr Frank Gray of Brighton University have been urging the city to make more of its cinematic advantages.

Dr Gray, the council, Lighthouse and the Duke of York’s have eloquently put the case to the British Film Institute to designate the resort as a film hub.

This has now been achieved and the best part of a million pounds has been made available to support film over the next four years.

It is good news as undoubtedly there is room for film to gain an even firmer foothold on the beaches and back streets of Brighton.

The hub could also help capture some of the films that have previously slipped away. Vanity Fair, adapted from the great Thackeray novel, had its Brighton scenes filmed in far away Tenby because there were so many yellow lines on the streets of Kemp Town.

A film about football manager Brian Clough was partly filmed in Eastbourne because the Brighton locations had changed so much in appearance over the years.

There are more opportunities for good ideas to be made better. Typical of these is Duke’s at Komedia, a venture which provides two screens at the Gardner Street club giving comfort and entertainment in the heart of the city.

It has been so successful that promoters Picturehouse are set to roll it out in other parts of the south east.

Cinema is only one example of just how important the arts are to Brighton. It provides jobs and attracts money for work people enjoy and which gives pleasure to film’s many fans.

Another is pop music. Brighton has 500 bands and a music academy which is one of the best and biggest in Britain. There’s also dance, the visual arts, theatre and much more.

Lights, Camera, Action. Brighton has hit the jackpot with film and other versions of the arts will take heart from such a success achieved in trying times.