Filmwight, the Island’s official film office, has been officially launched today (Friday) with hopes of bringing in new investment to the Isle of Wight through the film and TV industry.
Created in response to the Isle of Wight’s growing creative sector and the need for a central point of contact for the industry, Filmwight is part of Venture South’s strategic plan to stimulate job opportunities and the local economy.
Filmwight is a non-commercial organisation set up to attract and support UK and international productions. Officers connect filmmakers with the locations, people, facilities and companies who can help their productions run smoothly, on time and within budget.
The organisation has been endorsed by Creative England’s Filming in England team, the Isle of Wight Council and members of industry body Film Offices UK.
According to The British Film Commission, high-end production spend in the UK in 2020 was over £2.84billion with inward investment representing £2.36billion of that total. Location shoots result in tangible earnings across a range of services, from accommodation providers to restaurants, taxi drivers, chippies right the way through to specialist set designers, lighting technicians and animators.
Linda Sullivan, Chair of Venture South and co-founder of Filmwight, says:
“The mission of Venture South is to nurture projects and partnerships that enhance the creative and economic potential of the Isle of Wight. We know we can generate jobs by encouraging film, tv and advertising companies to use the island for their location shoots and through our new film office we will promote the Isle of Wight as one of the UK’s most attractive regional production hubs”.
Bob Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight, has said:
“Filmwight comes out of our desire to see culture and arts at the heart of the Island’s regeneration. The seed funding came, in part, out of initial meetings with the Arts Council when I outlined our ideas, back in 2017, to use arts and culture to support a better and more prosperous future for the Island. I believe that we need to use arts and culture for education, for aspiration and for regeneration.
“I would like to thank Linda Sullivan and Stephen Izatt at Venture South, the Island’s cultural investment company, for their outstanding leadership. Linda and Stephen have both done this remarkable service to the Island unpaid. They are driven by their passion for the Island. I am grateful to them both. I would also like to thank Creative England and Arts Council England for their critical support, along with the Isle of Wight Council and sponsors, Wightlink.”
In its first major sponsorship deal, Filmwight has negotiated special crossing incentives with Wightlink. The cross-Solent operator has created a special Filmwight Pass offering free and discounted passage to producers, location managers, crew and talent.
Looking to the future, building studio facilities is Filmwight’s next project. The directors are working with a consortium of specialists in this field with a view to opening a state-of-the-art studio complex within just 2 years.
Seems the biggest challenge any new business/start up faces here is to come up with a name that doesnt include “Wight” “Vectis” or “Island”. Nearly all fail on this it seems.
Annnnd yet another of my posts awaiting approval. Over Censorship. Big time.
Will they be featuring all the empty shops and run down areas in Sandown, Ryde, Newport, Ventnor, Shanklin, no of course not.
Pretty sure those towns would work, anything that involves derelict buildings and riot scenes, run down and poverty ridden, cheap and cheerful or even post-apocalyptic could be made to work. Cheaper than going to Detroit, USA.
“Official”? VentureSouth = Angel Capital Association based variously in South Carolina and Kansas, USA.
Google fails to find FilmWight, it has no address, runs out of a mobile number and is not known at Companies House.
Otherwise, very “official”.
I thought “What a good idea”, then saw the dreaded words – Isle of Wight Council.
This sounds very, very dodgy indeed. Build a studio complex…. hardly needed these days.