The Bottle Yard Studios is a Bristol City Council initiative. It is one of three divisions within the Council’s Film Services, working alongside Bristol Film Office and the Bristol UNESCO City of Film Manager.

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It is supported by West of England Combined Authority investment.

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We work closely with our long-standing partners Bristol Film Office, a division of Bristol City Council offering a free service to all productions planning to film in the city. Dedicated to making film, television or commercial photography shoots run as smoothly as possible when on location in Bristol, it is the one-stop-shop for all filming enquirers. It can assist at all stages of production, from initial location and crewing advice to recces and logistical support. The Film Office plays an important role in attracting and facilitating high levels of filming which generates more than £20m per year towards Bristol’s economy, creating employment for freelance crew and industry companies, knock-on benefits for wider business sectors and increased screen tourism in the city.

In 2017 Bristol was named a City of Film by UNESCO, a permanent status awarded in recognition of the city’s reputation as a world-leading centre for film and filming. It is now one of 26 cities of film worldwide and an official member of the international UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Bottle Yard Studios is a member of the Bristol City of Film steering group which guides the programme of activity carried out under this internationally respected status.

We’re proud to be an official partner of the British Film Commission (BFC), the UK Government’s lead agency responsible for maximising and supporting the production of international film and television in the UK. With experienced teams in the UK and the US, the BFC provides free, tailored support for international film and television productions at the very highest level, from earliest stages of development through to post-production. The BFC leads on attracting and supporting productions, offering guidance on UK tax reliefs, assisting with sourcing UK crew, talent and facilities and troubleshooting. The BFC is responsible for international promotion of the UK industry and liaison with Government to secure and maintain film-friendly policies.

We’re proud to be an affiliate member of The Production Guild of Great Britain, the UK’s leading membership organisation for those working in film and TV drama production. They represent experienced production professionals across accounts, production, location management, assistant directing, VFX and post production, and provide members with industry advice, employment opportunities, networking and seminars. Delivering expert knowledge on key production issues to members, government and as part of industry consultations, The Production Guild is the leading voice of the UK production industry.

ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills body for the screen industries – film, television (including children’s, unscripted and high-end), VFX (visual effects), animation and games. They are supporting economic recovery and future innovation and growth across the nations and regions by investing in the skilled and inclusive workforce who are critical to the UK screen industries’ global success. ScreenSkills runs or commissions a range of training programmes to address skills needs in the sector. For more information about ScreenSkills opportunities in Bristol and the South West, visit our ScreenSkills partner page.

Post-16 education providers boomsatsuma deliver a Media Production Diploma for 16-19 year olds at The Bottle Yard Studios. Taught in a classroom on site, the course gives 20 students per year the unique opportunity to learn about filmmaking, TV production, photography, animation graphic design, production design, sound design and more, whilst getting hands on experience at a working studio. The OCR Cambridge Technicals Extended Diploma in Media is a nationally recognised qualification equivalent to 3 A Levels and worth up to 168 UCAS tariff points. Read more here.