Ten Things to Know
• A capital of young people – Bradford has a population of just under half a million. It is the fourth largest metropolitan district in England, with an ethnically diverse population of whom young people form a greater and growing proportion than the national average.
• A history of film making – Film makers have long used buildings in the city, and the surrounding moorland landscape, as the backdrop for classic films such as: Billy Liar, Room at the Top, The Dresser, Private Function, The Railway Children, Yanks, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, LA Without a Map and many more. In recent years TV productions, such as the Red Riding Trilogy, have similarly made considerable use of the city and its environs. For its size, Bradford “punches above its weight”.
• Historical heritage in technical development – Bradford entrepreneurs were at the forefront of bringing film to the masses. It was home to some of the leading technology developments in late 19th century cinema, with key names including R.J.Appleton, the Riley Brothers, Henry Hibbert and Cecil Wray, as well as a world leading film poster company, W.E.Berry Ltd.
• Hosting of international film festivals – Bradford is looking to build on the success of such well-established annual festivals as the Bradford International Film Festival [now in its 16th year], Bite the Mango [which is being taken out into the community], Bradford Animation Festival [the UK’s longest running and biggest animation festival], the Fantastic Films Weekend [the UK’s fastest growing horror, fantasy and sci-fi film and TV festival], and the Co-Op Young Film Makers Festival.
• Britain’s national museum of film – The Bradford-based National Media Museum [NMeM] dating from1983, draws 750,000 visitors per year and is a venue for galleries, exhibitions, events, screenings and festivals. It includes Europe’s first permanent IMAX cinema and Pictureville, the only cinema in the world that regularly screens Cinerama using the original 3 projector system. Started in 1913, the NMeM’s cinematography collection contains over 13,000 film-related objects and artefacts, from the early days of cinema to today’s digital technologies.
• Collaborative initiatives – Following a successful pilot for Liverpool, The British Film Institute is now looking to establish a web-based “A City on Screen: Bradford.” There are numerous other examples of partnerships with organisations at local and regional level.
• Developing community film making and appreciation – From the Bradford Film Network, bursaries to attend the Cannes Festival, community- and school-based competitions and screenings at the Mela to the development of local film societies, there are growing opportunities for local people to become involved in all aspects of film.
• Film making schools and training centres – Bradford University’s Department of Electronic Imaging and Media Communications has been a pioneer in digital media teaching and research since 1991. A range of bodies provide film-related training across the age and social spectrum, including the homeless.
• The digital future – Bradford will be part of a forthcoming secure fibre network for high capacity data files linking 15 key locations in the north of England, including the new BBC production complex at Media City, Manchester. Bradford is also part of the Airedale Digital Valley, and contains many companies at the forefront of digital development.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site at Saltaire – Awarded in 2001, Saltaire provides an ideal film location, and includes Salts Mill which contains a collection of David Hockney works.
|