TV and film productions could get up to £500,000 to film in the north east under a fund set up by the region’s screen agency to “supercharge” activity in the area.
The North East Production Fund, allocated by North East Screen, will offer grants of £50,000 to £500,000 – up to 20% of a production budget – to productions that meet its criteria.
Open both to companies based inside the region and those in other parts of the UK that want to film there, the fund will support both scripted and non-scripted TV output in a bid to sustain local production.
It has a particular emphasis on high-end drama, scripted comedy and returning unscripted series, in the hope of finding shows that showcase and support the region as successfully as the likes of Vera, Our Friends in the North, The Dumping Ground and Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes.
This does not extend to animation, though that genre is accepted, alongside live-action and documentaries, if it is a feature film lasting at least 70 minutes. Movies shot in the region include I, Daniel Blake, Billy Elliot, Dungeons & Dragons and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
North East Screen sets out seven broad strategic priorities for the fund, including increasing the number, scale and variety of productions made in the region, the creation of jobs and career development opportunities for local talent and crews, and an increased demand for facilities, studios, locations and related sectors such as hospitality and transport.
Jackdaw
The fund supported three projects in its pilot phase: Jackdaw, a film from local director Jamie Childs (Sandman, His Dark Materials, Vera) reuniting the stars of current Amazon Prime series Wilderness, Jenna Colman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Cooking with the Gills, a live-action series for Channel 5’s kids strand Milkshake! from Sunderland-based MCC Media; and Quay Street Productions’ The Red King, a drama series from Being Human creator Toby Whithouse for UKTV's Albi.
Productions seeking to apply for grants from the fund can complete and submit an expression of interest here.
