Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are showing increasing potential to become a “screen cluster of national significance”, according to a new industry report.
The study for Screen Cornwall and the British Film Institute (BFI), found there were more than 270 companies active across film, television, video production, equipment hire and digital games.
The report also pointed to a skilled and growing regional film crew workforce of around 290 professionals which, while small compared to more densely populated regions, was “highly experienced”.
Productions that have used The Duchy as a backdrop include long-running shows like ITV’s Doc Martin and Sky’s Delicious , as well as international series such as fantasy drama House of the Dragon, a prequel to the major HBO series Game Of Thrones.
The report also profiled recent successes in independent filmmaking rooted in Cornish heritage – including director Mark Jenkin’s BAFTA-winning 2019 debut Bait and 2022 follow up Enys Men , and Kernewek , the first Cornish language short to be selected for the BFI London Film Festival.
Also highlighted were a number of studio and workspace plans in progress across Cornwall and set for completion over the next couple of years, which could provide more year-round screen activity, as opposed to to the seasonal activity that currently dominates.
Among these were community interest company ASONE’s £140m creative business park on a former airfield site in St Merryn near Padstow, and The Hive screen and digital hub in Truro, set to open in 2025.
The report said that more than 85% of screen sector companies registered in Cornwall were microbusinesses, with two or fewer employees. It added that accessibility to the sector needed to be addressed, given Cornwall’s rurally-dispersed population and “high levels” of socio-economic deprivation.
Laura Giles, managing director of Screen Cornwall said: “The ambition for sustainable growth for the screen sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly builds on our popularity with production companies and audiences alike, as well as a growing bank of crew and exciting creative talent.
“We have a rich cultural heritage with a minority language that is rising in profile on screen - Enys Men is particularly significant; a fully indigenous critically-acclaimed feature film developed and produced by a Cornish company.”
Screen Cornwall chair and TV producer Phillippa Giles added: “At a time of rapid growth in the UK screen economy, this report pinpoints our strengths and the barriers we need to overcome to take the screen sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to the next level.”
The report drew from the National Lottery funded BFI’s National Cluster Growth Fund, which provides up to £2m to support the development of a limited number of world-class screen sectors across the UK.
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