In 2018, the UK’s second city finds itself on the cusp of an exciting period of change. Birmingham and the West Midlands are at the forefront of innovation with the imminent arrival of the new high-speed rail network HS2 (which will cut journey times to the capital to 49 minutes) and Birmingham has been chosen for the UK’s first 5G network. Coventry has been named City of Culture for 2021 and Birmingham will also host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The West Midlands is home to the UK’s largest gaming cluster, ‘Silicon Spa’.

Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight is developing plans for a new film studio in Birmingham and the West Midlands Production Fund invests in production in the region. Film Birmingham is central in supporting the ever-evolving TV and film production base and the wealth of creative talent here in the West Midlands. We work closely with a broad range of leading industry partners to promote the region as a key destination for international film and TV production including the British Film Institute (BFI) and Creative England.

At Film Birmingham, we are committed to making filming as easy and efficient as possible by providing a one-stop shop for filmmakers’ production needs. In recent years we’ve attracted some high-profile productions to the city – notably Steven Spielberg for Ready Player One, American Assassin, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and in the wider region Nativity and Peaky Blinders. With new creative hubs popping up, the West Midlands offers a huge range of skilled and talented professionals.

We have top ranked universities for film production in creative writing and drama. The BFI play a key role in teaching and mentoring the next generation of storytellers via their scheme to teach and enthuse young people through the medium of film. The West Midlands is truly becoming a reliable conveyor belt of talent and intelligent projects.

The region’s fresh new wave of content creators are here to find a global audience. The region’s rise in stature and relevance in the UK stems from its ambitious plans and community attitude. There is a spirit of collaboration which achieves such productivity. The gap between what London and the rest of the country has to offer large-scale film and TV productions is widening and producers and location managers are increasingly looking at alternatives that are flexible, film-friendly and make sense economically. The West Midlands is at the forefront of that change.

The West Midlands is home to 12 universities and over 185,435 students. 40% of its population is under the age of 25 and the city is bursting with the freshest young creative talent.