Bristol Film Office
Bristol Film Office is a Bristol City Council service division that facilitates film, TV, and commercial photography shoots in Bristol, providing permit issuance, location sourcing, logistical coordination, and crew support to enterprise productions, students, and commercial photographers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bristol Film Office does
Bristol Film Office is a service division of Bristol City Council, established in 2003, that facilitates film, television, and commercial photography shoots within the city of Bristol. It operates as a single point of contact for productions, providing free advisory services across the full production lifecycle - from initial location scouting and crewing advice through recces, permit issuance, and logistical coordination with council departments. The office serves enterprise TV and film productions (with named clients spanning BBC, Disney+, Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video, HBO/Max, Paramount+, Channel 5, and Hulu), commercial photographers, student filmmakers, and property owners who register their sites for filming. There is no commercial revenue disclosure because the office is a public-sector service rather than an independent company.
The office's core product suite centers on an online filming permit system (issued via Apply4 Technology Ltd) covering external locations, interior council spaces, cemeteries, and drone work, plus a Location Database of registered Bristol-area sites. It is operationally integrated with The Bottle Yard Studios - the largest film and TV studio in the West of England, offering 11 BAFTA albert-accredited stages across two sites (TBY1 and TBY2, the latter opened in 2022) - and with Bristol UNESCO City of Film, the three divisions together constituting Bristol City Council's Film Services. Supporting services include traffic management and road closures (TTRN/TTRO), parking bay suspensions, unit base arrangements, drone permits, and BAFTA albert sustainable production guidance.
The revenue model is transactional and fee-based: small crew filming is £84/day, medium crew filming £163/day, drone permits £245-465/day, parking bay suspensions £15-30/bay/day, Temporary Traffic Regulation Notices £721+VAT, and unit bases from £600/day. HETV and feature film fees are negotiated. Student, charity, and news productions are exempt. Go-to-market is service-led and direct, supported by an event-driven presence at premieres and industry events (Cannes Global Production Awards), a Location Database, Bristol Movie Maps for screen tourism, and partnerships with regional film offices across the West of England. The office has been shortlisted for Film Commission of the Year at the 2026 Screen International Global Production Awards, on the back of the 2024 City of Film Award win at Cannes.
Bristol Film Office firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bristol Film Office
- Legal name
- Bristol City Council
- Website
- https://filmbristol.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bristol Film Office is a Bristol City Council service division that facilitates film, TV, and commercial photography shoots in Bristol, providing permit issuance, location sourcing, logistical coordination, and crew support to enterprise productions, students, and commercial photographers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Bristol Film Office is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Bristol Film Office business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Filming Permit Fees: Bristol Film Office charges fees for commercial filming on Bristol City Council-managed land and property. Fees vary by crew size and production type, from no fee for students/charities/news to negotiated rates for large HETV and feature film productions. Additional fees apply for drone filming, unit bases, interior spaces, and administrative processing.
- Parking Bay Suspensions: Revenue from suspending on-street parking bays and car parks for production unit bases, with fees ranging from £15-30 per bay per day plus coning fees.
- Traffic Management Fees: Fees for Temporary Traffic Regulation Notices (TTRN) required for road closures during filming, charged at £721 + VAT for up to two-day closures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Student/Charity/News filming - No fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small crew filming (up to 10 people) - £84 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Medium crew filming (11-40 people) - £163 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Large/HETV/Feature Film (40+ people) - By negotiation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small/Factual/Documentary filming exteriors - £178 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Unit bases - From £600 per day |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Drone filming - £245-465 per day |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Temporary Traffic Regulation Notice (TTRN) - £721 + VAT |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Parking bay suspensions - £15-30 per bay per day |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Bristol Film Office product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bristol Film Office is a Bristol City Council service that facilitates film, TV, and photography shoots in Bristol and the West of England. It provides free dedicated support to productions including location sourcing, crewing advice, recce support, and logistical coordination. It also issues filming permits for council-managed land and property, arranges traffic management and parking suspensions, and provides access to a comprehensive online Location Database.
Product overview
Bristol Film Office is a Bristol City Council service that provides a comprehensive suite of film and TV production support services for productions filming in Bristol. Its core offerings span filming permission and permit management (via an online permitting system), a locations database for sourcing and registering filming sites, and close partnership with The Bottle Yard Studios (11 BAFTA albert-accredited stages across two sites). Supporting services include traffic management and road closures, parking and unit base arrangements, drone filming permits, and sustainable filming guidance for BAFTA albert certification. The office also promotes screen tourism through Bristol Movie Maps and the Bristol UNESCO City of Film programme, and co-delivers the All Set West skills programme. Student filmmaker permits and economic impact reporting round out the portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Filming Permission Services Issuance of filming permits for commercial filming on Bristol City Council-managed property and land, covering external locations (parks, highways, car parks), internal spaces (markets, museums, libraries), and crematoria/cemeteries. Includes an online permitting system hosted by Apply4 Technology Ltd.
- Bristol Location Database
Quantifiable outcome
- 18 High-End TV productions supported by Bristol Film Office were broadcast during Sept 2024 - March 2026 qualifying period
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Bristol Film Office
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bristol Film Office technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bristol Film Office partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Bottle Yard StudioscoreThe Bottle Yard Studios is the largest film and TV studio in the West of England, offering 11 BAFTA albert-accredited stages across two sites. Like Bristol Film Office, it is a Bristol City Council initiative, and the teams work closely together to provide a joined-up package of support for productions filming in Bristol, both in the studio and on location. Both are divisions within Bristol City Council's Film Services.
- Bristol UNESCO City of FilmcoreBristol UNESCO City of Film is a permanent international designation recognizing Bristol's world-leading reputation for film and the moving image. Bristol Film Office supports the programme of activity delivered under the status. Both are divisions within Bristol City Council's Film Services, working together on the UNESCO designation and its three priority areas: WATCH (Film Culture), MAKE (Film Production), and LEARN (Film Education).
- Creative EnglandminorCreative England is described as a trusted industry partner that Bristol Film Office collaborates with on regional filming activity.
- All Set WestcoreAll Set West is a BFI-funded skills programme co-delivered by Bristol Film Office, The Bottle Yard Studios, and Bristol UNESCO City of Film. The programme supports local trainees to take their first steps in the industry, working on productions like Rivals.
- Bath Film OfficeminorRegional film office partnership for filming enquiries in neighbouring Bath and North East Somerset area. Produces are referred to Bath Film Office for filming in that authority's boundary.
- North Somerset Film OfficeminorRegional film office partnership for filming enquiries in North Somerset area, which offers seaside locations of Weston-Super-Mare and Clevedon that have featured in shows like Sanditon and The Outlaws.
- Screen SomersetminorRegional partnership for filming in Somerset, managed by Somerset Council, offering locations including Cheddar Gorge, Wells Cathedral, and beaches at Berrow and Burnham on Sea.
- South Gloucestershire CouncilminorRegional partnership for filming in South Gloucestershire, which has locations including the 'Road to Nowhere' disused dual carriageway used for Casualty and Broadchurch.
- Filming in England PartnershipminorFilming in England Partnership connects different organizations across England outside London to create a film-friendly environment. Bristol Film Office works with this national partnership to help raise Bristol's profile amongst filmmakers.
- Film Offices: UK (FO:UK)minorFO:UK is formed of publicly-funded Film Offices and agencies across the UK, providing a forum to share best practice and discuss industry trends. Affiliated member of The Production Guild of Great Britain.
- Visit BristolminorBristol Film Office works with Visit Bristol to increase screen tourism in the city, promoting filming locations featured in productions to visitors.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bristol Film Office competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- British Film Commission: National body promoting the UK as a filming destination and supporting inward investment by international productions. Overlapping with Bristol Film Office in producer-relations role, but operating at a national, government-backed level rather than municipal scale.
- Creative England: National screen agency supporting film and high-end TV production across the English regions. A direct strategic partner of Bristol Film Office and the broader umbrella for regional film-office activity outside London, serving overlapping producers seeking regional UK locations.
Direct peers
- Film London: London's screen industries agency, operating as a regional film commission with a similar role of facilitating filming on public land, managing permits, and supporting productions. Comparable as a publicly-supported film office serving a major UK production market.
- Screen Scotland: National screen agency for Scotland supporting film and TV production, providing funding, locations, and crew development. Comparable in mission and overlapping UK HETV/feature production customer base, though operating at a national rather than municipal scale.
- Northern Ireland Screen: National screen agency funding and supporting film and TV production in Northern Ireland, with crew and infrastructure development programmes analogous to All Set West. Comparable mandate and HETV/feature production customer base.
- Screen Yorkshire: Regional screen agency supporting film and HETV production across Yorkshire, providing permits, locations, crew support, and studio access. Directly comparable in mandate, funding model (public-private), and customer base (UK streamers and broadcasters seeking UK regional production hubs).
- Manchester Film Office: Municipal film office providing permit coordination, location support, and crew assistance for productions filming in Manchester. Closely analogous in scale, structure (council-linked), and customer profile to Bristol Film Office.
- Liverpool Film Office: Local authority film office providing free production support, permits, and crew liaison for productions filming in Liverpool. Same municipal film-office model and overlapping UK streaming/broadcaster customer base.
Regional players
- Screen Somerset: Regional film office covering Somerset, managed by Somerset Council. A referral partner of Bristol Film Office and comparable in municipal permit/coordination role, focused on Somerset-specific locations such as Cheddar Gorge and Wells Cathedral.
- Bath Film Office: Neighbouring municipal film office covering Bath and North East Somerset. A referral partner of Bristol Film Office and a direct comparable in municipal film-office role, though operating in a separate local authority boundary.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bristol Film Office social profiles
Digital presenceBristol Film Office financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bristol Film Office leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Bristol Film Office subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Bristol Film Office funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bristol Film Office M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bristol Film Office
What does Bristol Film Office do?
Bristol Film Office is a Bristol City Council service that facilitates film, TV, and photography shoots in Bristol and the West of England. It provides free dedicated support to productions including location sourcing, crewing advice, recce support, and logistical coordination. It also issues filming permits for council-managed land and property, arranges traffic management and parking suspensions, and provides access to a comprehensive online Location Database.
Is Bristol Film Office a public or private company?
Bristol Film Office is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Bristol Film Office founded?
Bristol Film Office was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bristol Film Office based?
Bristol Film Office is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bristol Film Office make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Filming Permit Fees are the primary driver. The others are parking Bay Suspensions and traffic Management Fees.
Who are Bristol Film Office's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are British Film Commission and Creative England. Direct peers are Film London, Screen Scotland, Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Yorkshire, Manchester Film Office and Liverpool Film Office. Regional players are Screen Somerset and Bath Film Office.
Does Bristol Film Office have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bristol Film Office.