Why is Bradford the world's first UNESCO City of Film?
Bradford is not the only city in the world to harbour City of Film ambitions. It is, however, the first to achieve it. Scratch the surface of this former beacon of the industrial north and it's easy to see why.
To some, this is 21st century British diversity at its best. To others, it's a mass of contradictions, with a stunning Gothic heart giving way to rolling countryside just minutes away. To those in the know, however, Bradford is home to a vibrant film community, where your film diet is limited only by your appetite. Select from 34 commercial screens, showing, on average, 875 films per week bracing everything from art house to Aardman, Bollywood and world film to Woody Allen.
How do you like your film? For the full cinematic experience, little beats the spectacle of the one of the largest 3D screens in the world at Britain's first IMAX, or the only permanent Cinerama cinema in Europe. For a more intimate take on an old favourite, Bradford's strong and growing tradition of film clubs and societies offer, perhaps, a more personal experience.
The sheer range of facilities shows, in part, why Bradford is the world's first UNESCO City of Film, but it isn't the whole story. This is a great place to learn about film, with everything from formal education to vocational training. Take your pick from 48 courses offered at 5 colleges across the District, postgraduate study included, and, from 2010, the City of Film PhD.
There's practical help on offer, too; in the last three years, Bradford trained 150 film-makers, invested or funded 72 businesses connected to film and supported 274 people in employment. With a helping hand to get them started, Bradford looks forward to that commitment translating into future big screen success stories.
Perhaps they will join the long list of films shot in Bradford for cinema and TV over the last 5 years - 30 at the last count - including recent films like The King's Speech, or film favourites such as The Railway Children and Billy Liar - featuring some of the 291 Bradford locations registered on Screen Yorkshire's database. With camera kit, edit suites and cutting-edge 3D technology available right here, it's little wonder a 136-strong professional crew community has made this its home.
If Bradford's fabulous array of cinemas, great learning opportunities - formal and otherwise, fantastic heritage, diverse locations and professional support all point to Bradford as the world's first City of Film, the acclaimed festival programme makes it a certainty. The whole combines to make Bradford the world's first City of Film.
Watch the City of Film Announcement film on our homepage to find out more about our claim.
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