All Set West, the BFI National Lottery-funded skills package supporting diverse West of England talent into careers behind the camera, has been named Best Industry Skills Initiative at the 2025 Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards.
Winners were announced last night (27th November 2025) at the Awards gala dinner at The Brewery in London. All Set West was named winner in the category over three other shortlisted initiatives: ‘Rise – Women in Broadcast’, ‘Sky Post Production – Editor Training Programme’ and ‘Woodcut Media’.
Praising the work of All Set West, Judges described it as “a skills initiative that delivers real, measurable change, with its inclusive focus and innovative approach to building a new creative pipeline.”
All Set West Programme Manager Jane Coulter says: “All Set West is a major team effort and we are so grateful for the support of our funders the BFI, our partners West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, and the truly unified approach across Bristol City Council’s Film teams – The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and Bristol Film Office. Their support is enabling us to build a strong, sustainable bridge for new local talent from all backgrounds into the industry in our region.
“Our thanks also goes to the many production companies, freelancers, community organisations and educators we’re working with on the ground. All Set West is all about building a supportive community for entrants and we couldn’t do that without their help as our Industry Connectors. We count ourselves very lucky to have so many people and organisations in the West who share our drive to make positive change happen.”
Recent High-End TV productions All Set West has engaged with include Boarders (BBC Three), Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix – premieres 15th January 2026), and Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV+).
Anyone based in the West of England and interested in working in film and TV production can register free at www.allsetwest.co.uk for an All Set West Community account, to gain access to the All Set West Hub, an online platform full of information supporting early career development, including work experience and trainee call outs, training schemes, networking events, workshops, open days, useful guides, toolkits and directories. Up-to-date content is added by established production professionals, companies and screen sector organisations, who log in to the Hub as Industry Connectors to upload opportunities as they arise.
The skills package also features: free All Set West Training delivered at The Bottle Yard Studios, designed to prepare local talent from backgrounds currently underrepresented in the industry for entry-level roles on scripted productions (next round of applications opens December 2025); outreach engagement with colleges, universities and community groups in the region to demystify the industry and widen awareness of film/TV production careers; and research analysis into regional industry skills gaps to inform the future strategy for addressing workforce development and retention challenges.
All Set West is funded by the BFI National Lottery Places Fund and delivered by The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and Bristol Film Office (the three teams within Bristol City Council’s Film Services) in partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
For more information, visit www.allsetwest.co.uk.
Pictured: Natalie Moore (Bristol UNESCO City of Film) and Jane Coulter (All Set West) accepting the Broadcast Tech Innovation Award at last night’s ceremony in London
Bristol… we are coming to meet you! Help us shape the future media creatives for our region. We are looking to engage with TV, film, content media, games, animation and the photography industry on 26th November at the gorgeous St George’s Hall
✅ Discuss key challenges and opportunities in the creative sector
✅ Shape future talent pipelines and influence taught curriculum
✅ Strengthen collaboration between education and industry to drive
Enjoy breakfast and open discussion with representatives from Weston College, University Centre Weston and Business West LSIP team
If you’re an employer in the creative industries and would like to join us, sign up through here
https://www.weston.ac.uk/event/media-production-photography-games-and-animation-employer-advisory-board
Invada Films presents GAME – in cinemas 21st November 2025.
Late summer 1993. After stealing a stash of money and drugs, aging raver David (Marc Bessant) crashes his car deep in the woods – trapped in the wreckage, injured and helpless, he hangs suspended between life and death. When a mysterious poacher (Jason Williamson) discovers him, no rescue comes, only a watchful, unsettling presence that seems intent on letting nature finish the job. As the hours stretch and the elements close in, a tense and claustrophobic battle of wills, and wits, unfolds – where survival hinges on outlasting both the wilderness and the predator at its edge.
STARRING: Marc Bessant & Jason Williamson
DIRECTED BY: John Minton
WRITTEN BY: Geoff Barrow, Marc Bessant, John Minton & Rob Williams SCREENPLAY BY: Rob Williams
PRODUCED BY: Geoff Barrow & Deborah Rawlings
GAME will be screening across the UK & Ireland – with a Q&A featuring members of the cast and crew:
07/11 – Brighton – Dukes At Komedia [Cinecity 25]
13/11 – Leeds – Hyde Park Picture House [Leeds Film Festival]
17/11 – Bristol – Watershed 18/11 – Manchester – HOME (Cinema)
19/11 – London – Picturehouse Hackney
20/11 – London – Curzon Soho
24/11 – Nottingham – Broadway
25/11 – Newcastle – Tyneside Cinema
26/11 – Glasgow – Film Theatre
27/11 – Edinburgh – Filmhouse
28/11 – Cardiff – CHAPTER
05/12 – Belfast – Queen’s Film Theatre
11/12 – Birmingham – Mockingbird Cinema
For tickets and more info: https://linktr.ee/InvadaFilmsGame
Weston College and University Centre Weston are looking to work with creative businesses to shape delivery, curriculum and skills alignment to provide your industry with a talented and work ready future workforce.
Current courses delivered by us include:
Please join us at one of our events (you can find them all here) and have your say! https://forms.office.com/e/0T1Z42Ey2V
We’re delighted to announce our third Skills Bootcamp in Virtual Production!
Starting Wednesday 17th December 2025, these fully funded courses offer an incredible opportunity to gain cutting-edge skills that are transforming the future of film and media production.
We are offering two specialist courses:
• Virtual Production with Unreal Engine
• Virtual Production with Sony VENICE 2
These bootcamps are free to learners, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WEMCA) and led by the University of Bristol in partnership with MARS Academy (MARS Volume), Gritty Talent, and accredited trainers in Unreal Engine and Sony VENICE 2.
Virtual production is revolutionising the screen sector by blending live action, visual effects, and real-time 3D environments into a seamless creative process.
Applications close at midnight on Wednesday 12th November 2025, please share with your wider audience.
Gritty Talent’s Skills Bootcamp – Inclusion Accelerator, launches on the 14th January 2026 in the South-West of England. Book early to avoid disappointment….
Engaging, practical and designed for change, the Inclusion Accelerator has been thoughtfully developed to turbo charge inclusivity in the creative industries.
The Skills Bootcamp is open to 20 leaders, hiring managers & EDI leads within creative sector organisations and companies in the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WEMCA) region. This dynamic, guided learning bootcamp, with the outcome of creating a company specific implementation plan, will be delivered by Gritty Talent’s own senior leaders who are creative industry professionals and EDI specialists.
What’s more it’s HEAVILY subsidised by WEMCA, who fund up to 90% of the cost for learners
For full information on funding, eligibility criteria and application details. Follow the link below.
https://www.grittytalent.tv/skills-bootcamp-inclusion-accelerator
New digital platform connects local entrants with screen industry opportunities, events and resources
West of England creatives interested in working in film/TV production are being invited to join the All Set West Hub, a new digital platform designed to connect local entrants with the latest opportunities, events and resources to support their first steps in the screen industry.
The Hub is part of the BFI National Lottery-funded All Set West package of skills support announced earlier this year, which is helping power up careers, grow connections and unlock opportunities behind the camera for entry-level film/TV talent across the West of England.
Entrants can now register free for an ‘All Set West Community’ account, to gain access to a range of information to support early career development, including work experience or trainee call outs, training schemes, networking events, workshops, open days, useful guides, toolkits and directories.
Up-to-date information on the Hub is added by’ Industry Connectors’, a network of existing production professionals, companies and screen sector organisations, who can log in via their own accounts to add relevant opportunities as they arise.
All Set West is funded by the BFI National Lottery Places Fund and delivered by The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and Bristol Film Office (the three teams within Bristol City Council’s Film Services) in partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
The wider All Set West package also features: a free training programme delivered at The Bottle Yard Studios designed to prepare local talent from backgrounds currently underrepresented in the industry for entry-level roles on scripted productions (next round of applications opens December 2025); outreach engagement with colleges, universities and community groups in the region to demystify the industry and widen awareness of film/TV production careers; and research analysis into regional industry skills gaps to inform the future strategy for addressing workforce development and retention challenges.
Register with the All Set West Hub at: www.allsetwest.co.uk/create-an-account.
Bristol-based period care brand Grace & Green has launched a new TV campaign highlighting the lack of workplace period products in their spot, ‘Caught Short’.
Collaborating with JonesMillbank, Bristol-based B-Corp video production company, the ad was created after Grace & Green was named as Sky’s Local Heroes winner for the South West, securing funded media support through the Sky Zero Footprint Fund.
“This campaign is about making sure every employee can manage their periods at work without stress or stigma, and placing Grace & Green as the go-to period brand for businesses that care about their employees,” said Fran Lucraft, Founder and CEO of Grace & Green.
“Access to period products should be a right, not a privilege. We are so excited to see our brand on the small screen! Being a Bristol-based business, it’s incredible to see our work recognised locally and shared nationally.”
Abbie Howes, rostered director at JonesMillbank, added: “Getting caught short at work is a stress far too many women have endured, so it was really important to get that relatability across – whilst using light humour to highlight how ridiculous it is that it’s still not the norm for workplaces to supply period products.”
“Understandably if you’ve never been in the situation yourself it may never have crossed your mind, so we didn’t want this to feel judgmental or lecturing, but rather an issue that’s very easy to fix.”
The campaign is running across the Sky network throughout September alongside digital. For more information visit www.graceandgreen.co and www.jonesmillbank.com.
***
JonesMillbank are a full-service production company based at Nine Tree Studios, their 10,000sq ft film studio.
Producing branded content, TV ads and social content their clients include local, global and household brands such as Dyson, University of Bristol, DHL, Oxfam, Pukka and the NHS.
jonesmillbank.com
01173706372
[email protected]
Ready to unleash your creative talents but don’t know where to begin?
Gritty Talent is partnering with leading Bristol based Post Production houses to run a part-time 8 week FREE Post Production Skills Bootcamp. The course is aimed at residents of the Bristol, Bath & NE Somerset and South Gloucs areas, who are aged 19+ and wanting to break into Post Production.
You will be introduced to the fascinating world of Post Production through masterclasses in sound, vision and wrangling footage. Alongside formal shadowing opportunities in Post Production Facilities, you will also receive career development workshops and mentoring from the team at Gritty Talent. This bootcamp will fully prepare you to confidently apply for entry level Post Production roles within the TV/Creative Industries.
For full course details including eligibility and how to apply follow this link: https://www.grittytalent.tv/runners-skills-bootcamps
Funded by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority
Delivery partners: Gorilla, Gorilla Academy, Films@59, PictureShop, Doghouse Post Production, One Tribe TV
#skillsbootcamps #skillsforlife #Postproduction #TVRunners #creativeindustries
Clockwise from top left: The Forsytes (image:5/PBS), The Seven Dials Mystery (image: Netflix), Towards Zero (image: BBC), Boarders (image: BBC)
The economic impact of filming on location in Bristol and at The Bottle Yard Studios rose by 55% in 2024-25 to an estimated £46.6 million, according to the latest annual figures from the Bristol Film Office.
29 major productions were assisted by Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the 2024-25 financial year (including three feature films and 26 High-End TV productions) with a total of 736 filming days supported in the studio and on location. The economic impact of this production activity is valued at an estimated £46,645,000, an increase of £16.6 million (55%) on the previous year. In total, 689 filming permits were processed by the Film Office in 2024–25, permitting filming to take place on council-owned streets, properties and green spaces.
The year also saw more of Bristol’s best-loved visitor destinations directly benefitting from income brought in by filming, after being connected to productions by Bristol Film Office. Historic boatyard Underfall Yard – which has been fundraising since 2023 to complete recovery and reinstatement works following a devastating arson attack – and inner-city community hub St Werburghs City Farm, are two examples of local charities that hosted extensive filming last year.
Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said: “Bristol’s film industry plays a significant role in the growing strength of our local and regional economy. The substantial growth in economic impact these latest figures demonstrate underlines just how important this sector is to our city, not just in terms of jobs but also exposure to a global audience. This impact, combined with that of other culture and creative sectors in the city, is driving an economic impact worth £892 million a year to Bristol and makes us a city that investors have increasing confidence in with an estimated £88 leveraged by arts organisations for every £1 invested.” *
Laura Aviles, Head of Film, Bristol City Council, says: “A 55% increase in the economic contribution generated by film and TV productions hosted by The Bottle Yard Studios and supported by Bristol Film Office, in just one year, is outstanding. Not only are we seeing the number of productions opting to film in Bristol remain strong, we’re also seeing the size and length of those shoots increase. Thanks to the outstanding service from The Bottle Yard team and the gold standard of logistical liaison provided by the Film Office on location, productions are spending more time prepping and filming bigger, more ambitious shoots here. This is leading to more employment for regional scripted freelancers and companies, and more local spend in the economy.
“It’s so rewarding to also see more of Bristol’s charities and community groups benefit from valuable new income streams by hiring their unique spaces out as locations, which we hope will in turn lead to further screen tourism benefits in future. With new releases like Young Sherlock, The Seven Dials Mystery, The Dream Lands, Inheritance and The Forsytes on the horizon – as well as others still under wraps – it’s clear that our studio, locations, crew and companies are keeping Bristol at the top of its game, as one of the most successful regional cities for scripted filming in the UK today.”
A total of 17 major productions were filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the year, eight of which had the biggest presence in the city by also filming on location with assistance from Bristol Film Office. These eight were: upcoming Sky Original thriller Inheritance starring Gugu Mbatha Raw and Jonny Lee Miller; upcoming Channel 5/PBS period drama The Forsytes starring Millie Gibson and Joshua Orpin; upcoming Netflix Agatha Christie thriller The Seven Dials Mystery starring Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman; upcoming BBC coming-of-age relationship drama The Dream Lands starring Pascale Kann and Anna Friel; upcoming feature film Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan; series two of BBC comedy thriller Am I Being Unreasonable written by and starring Daisy May Cooper; and series two of BBC comedy drama Boarders.
It was a particularly busy year for Bristol Film Office, which assisted 19 major productions on location throughout the year. In addition to those listed above, titles included: Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Prime Video series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Colin Firth; upcoming BBC/Disney+ Doctor Who spin off The War Between Land and Sea starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha Raw; upcoming second series of Channel 4 cyber thriller The Undeclared War starring Hannah Khalique-Brown and Simon Pegg; upcoming feature Mother’s Pride starring Martin Clunes (in cinemas 26th September 2025); upcoming feature film H is for Hawk starring Clare Foy and Brendan Gleeson; Paramount+ thriller The Crow Girl starring Eve Myles and Doug-ray Scott; and BBC Agatha Christie thriller Towards Zero starring Anjelica Huston.
Major productions filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios only (without city locations) included: upcoming BBC comedy Can You Keep a Secret? starring Dawn French and Mark Heap; Enid Blyton CBBC series Malory Towers and The Famous Five, CBeebies series Andy’s Global Adventures: Baby Animal Missions and upcoming Sky Kids series Jaime’s Treetop Tales.
How are the figures calculated?
Figures are calculated using the Average Local Production Spend Rate Card launched by Creative England’s Filming in England team in 2023. The Rate Card is part of a Local Economic Impact Toolkit, designed to help local authorities in England more accurately calculate and report on the average local economic impact of location filming activity in their region. It analyses total production expenditure based on where it was spent and the classification of a local authority’s location.
A significant number of resources are required to create a film or TV production. Every film crew that works in Bristol needs accommodation, food, transportation, security and other services. A single feature or high-end TV series can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds locally, boosting the revenue of local businesses including hotels, guesthouses, cafes and restaurants, taxi and car rental services and retail stores. Securing part or all of a shoot in Bristol results in varied levels of expenditure flowing into the local economy, with the range of spend depending on the type of project, what services and resources the project needs to access, and the budget range.
The Rate Card takes all these different types of spend into consideration, including Screen-Production Specific (e.g. crew’s wages and specialist suppliers of local film/TV equipment and services) as well as other categories of Business Support, Construction, Digital Services, Fashion & Beauty, Hospitality & Catering and Local Labour. It provides a frame of reference to gauge the average amount of daily expenditure that can be expected from a specific type of production, depending on the designated classification of the location and the budget range into which the project falls. This is then applied to data of all productions supported by Bristol Film Office and Bottle Yard Studios, to calculate the overall estimated economic impact. For more information, visit www.filminginengland.co.uk/local-economic-impact-of-filming
Boosting screen tourism
As well as creating short term opportunities for local crew and specialist companies and knock-on spending in wider business sectors, films and TV shows made in a city have been proven to have a positive longer-term impact on tourism and the visitor economy. Iconic locations featured in popular productions become screen tourism attractions, drawing visitors from around the world. Rising numbers of Bristol venues, charities and businesses are working with Bristol Film Office to be introduced to productions as potential filming locations. Being hired for filming helps venues, businesses and community spaces create valuable new revenue streams, and in the longer term can lead to increased footfall after a TV show or film’s release. Past examples include Aerospace Bristol (featured in Disney+ hit Rivals), St Werburghs Farm (featured in BBC/ Prime Video comedy thriller The Outlaws) and The Georgian House Museum (featured in ITVX period drama Sanditon).
* For more information about the wider economic impact of culture and creative sectors in Bristol, see: ‘Culture in Bristol bringing major benefits to our city’ (Bristol City Council, 3 July 2025)
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