£2.5m film and TV investment launched for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Screen Cornwall project aims to boost production and local employment
A £2.5 million initiative to boost film and high-end television production in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been launched, jointly backed by Cornwall Council and private investors.
The Screen Cornwall Equity Production Investment (SCEPI) scheme is designed to stimulate further development of the area’s growing screen industry, creating jobs and opportunities for local crew, creative talent, and businesses.
Of the £2.5 million total, Cornwall Council has contributed £1.25 million through its Good Growth Fund (Shared Prosperity Fund), with the remaining funding coming from private investors.
Eligible projects must provide significant production spend in the local economy and demonstrate strong creative ties to Cornwall. UK production companies making narrative feature films, high-end scripted drama or comedy projects for television or streaming are eligible to apply.
Thriving screen industry in Cornwall
Cornwall has become a destination for homegrown and incoming film and TV productions.
Recent hits include Mark Jenkin’s feature films Bait and Enys Men, Fisherman’s Friends directed by Chris Foggin, and TV shows like Playing Nice, Doc Martin, and Beyond Paradise.
Screen Cornwall, set up in 2019, has played a key role in this growth, reporting a record-breaking production spend of £16.2 million in its 2023/24 Impact Report. In addition, the agency is addressing skills gaps with initiatives for upskilling local crew and supporting career development.
Leigh Frost, Leader of Cornwall Council, said: "We are proud of the success that our film and television production services have achieved for the region.
"We have invested in this initiative to drive jobs and career development opportunities for locally-based talent and crew and to strengthen and retain our diverse and highly skilled workforce.
"Supporting stories and storytellers with natural links to the region also promotes Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly at home and abroad as a dynamic place to live, work and invest in through on-screen cultural and geographical representation to audiences worldwide.
Leadership and investment management
To oversee SCEPI, Screen Cornwall has appointed Nada Cirjanic as Investment Manager.
Cirjanic brings extensive experience across UK film and TV production, including roles at Film4/Channel 4, Independent Film Sales, and Protagonist Pictures.
She will work with Screen Cornwall Managing Director Laura Giles and an Investment Committee of industry professionals to assess applications and make funding recommendations to the SCEPI Equity Board.
Cirjanic said: "I am delighted to be joining the team and excited by all the opportunities SCEPI investment brings to the industry and the region.
"SCEPI will offer experienced producers a source of equity for high-end audience-facing projects which shoot in Cornwall, answering a need for new finance in the market, but also drawing on the resources and experience in the region after many years of high-profile film and TV shoots here.
H2 Promoting Cornwall through screen productions
The scheme builds on the region’s growing reputation as a creative hub for high-end film and television.
Amanda Pyne, Chair of Screen Cornwall Equity, commented on the potential for future success: "As an equity investor in the right projects, the region has a real opportunity to further grow its success as a destination for high-end television and film production.
"We can provide producers with vital access to capital and at the same time increase the number and scale of projects being made in the region.
"I am delighted that Nada Cirjanic has come on board, bringing years of commercial experience in financing, developing and getting films into the international marketplace."
SCEPI’s launch has been supported by the BFI Places Fund, which invests National Lottery funding in regions demonstrating evidence of a thriving screen production sector.
With anticipated growth in film and TV production, Cornwall’s screen industry looks set to continue its upward trajectory, delivering cultural, economic, and social benefits to the region for years to come.