The production company behind major television hits including Killing Eve has announced a new development arm that will be based in Bristol. Sid Gentle Films' new business - Sid Wild - will be based at the Bottle Yard Studios in the city.
The first production to film under the Sid Wild arm is Rain Dogs, a BBC/HBO production which recently wrapped on its Bristol-based shoot The show tells the unconventional love story between a working-class single mum, her 10 year old daughter and a privileged gay man.
The dark comedy stars Daisy May Cooper, Jack Farthing, Ronke Adekoluejo, Adrian Edmondson and Fleur Tashjian - in her debut role - as a dysfunctional, unconventional family on the fringes of society, attempting to go straight in a crooked world.
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Ciara McIlvenny, who produced Rain Dogs, has joined the company as development producer with plans for further staff to join her in the future. According to the Bottle Yard Studios, she will be developing her own slate of shows, in collaboration with Henrietta Colvin, Sally Woodward Gentle and Lee Morris, with the plan to produce them out of Bristol.
Ms McIlvenny has more than 20 years’ experience in scripted drama. Before producing Rain Dogs she was story producer on Bad Sisters by Sharon Horgan for Merman and Apple TV and script executive on Channel Five’s remake of All Creatures Great and Small.
She said: “I’m incredibly lucky to be working with Sally and Lee and all the team at Sid Gentle. We had some brilliant West Country crew on Rain Dogs and I’m looking forward to building on those relationships and discovering new talent to help create exciting shows out of Bristol.”
Laura Aviles, senior film manager at Bristol City Council, said the announcement Sid Wild had selected Bristol as its expansion location outside London was a "ringing endorsement" for the city.
"Bristol hosts consistently high numbers of visiting productions as a filming destination, but ultimately we want more drama companies to base here permanently and tap into the wealth of homegrown creative talent the city has to offer on both sides of the camera," she said.
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Ms Woodward Gentle and Mr Morris of Sid Gentle Films added: “We are delighted to announce the expansion of our production presence in the 海角视频 which will support and strengthen the television production sector and creative economies around the 海角视频. We want to make Sid Wild a significant presence and one which not only produces brilliant shows which are enjoyed around the world but also delivers genuine investment outside of London.”
Film and television production in Bristol has generated more than £20m for the local economy in the last financial year. The sum is a 22% increase on pre-pandemic figures and the largest contribution that filming-related activity has made towards Bristol’s economy in a decade.
The amount of filming that took place in the city was up by 10%, with 1,067 filming days carried out at the Bottle Yard Studios and/or on location assisted by Bristol Film Office.
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