Bristol has led the development of a new website connecting the global Cities of Film network, which it joined in 2017 to reflect its world-leading status for the moving image.
Bristol City of Film, the group that brings together all elements of the industry in the city, led the design and development of the multilingual Cities of Film website, which contains profiles of each of the 18 member cities, examples of key initiatives in each location and news about collaborative successes and opportunities between member cities. 
Among the projects it highlights is the Film for Learning initiative – a collaboration between Bristol and Bradford, the UK’s only other City of Film.
A partnership bringing together Bristol’s boomsatsuma training organisation with Bradford’s IntoFilm curriculum innovation service, it is training teachers in primary schools to embed film into their teaching practices to engage with young people from an early age.
Natalie Moore, pictured, of Bristol City of Film said: “We’re delighted to launch this new website on behalf of the entire Cities of Film network.
“For the first time we have a single shared platform that anyone can visit, wherever they are in the world, to learn more about how Cities of Film are leading development in film-based learning, engagement and innovation.
“As an online tool the site will help us work more closely with one another, enhance how we share best practice and create new opportunities to collaborate creatively.
“Given the challenges we’re all facing in the current pandemic, it’s never been more important for us to stay as connected as possible digitally.” 
Along with Bristol and Bradford, the Cities of Film network includes Bitola (North Macedonia), Busan (South Korea), Galway (Ireland), Łódź (Poland), Mumbai (India), Potsdam (Germany), Qingdao (China), Rome (Italy), Santos (Brazil), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sofia (Bulgaria), Sydney (Australia), Terrassa (Catalonia), Valladolid (Spain), Wellington (New Zealand) and Yamagata (Japan).
All member cities are also part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as their framework, the cities are committed to delivering meaningful and progressive programmes of work that contribute to sustainable urban development.
The website, www.citiesoffilm.org, has been launched this week during what would have been the 14th annual conference of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Due to take place in the Santos City of Film, Brazil, the event, which is usually attended by representatives from all 246 UNESCO creative cities, has been postponed until later in the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Grainne Brunsdon of Sydney City of Film, which co-ordinates the film cities sub-network, says: “Whilst our City of Film status helps each member city to champion and develop screen production and screen culture within our own localities, we know that as a network we can be far stronger together than we are individually.
“We celebrate this new platform and look forward to seeing new collaborations spring from the sharing it will enable, especially as we all work to support creative sector resilience in the challenging economic climate caused by Covid-19.”
Bradford City of Film’s David Wilson added: “Since we were named the first City of Film in 2009, the network has grown considerably with five new additions last year alone.
“As Cities of Film we are all committed to placing sustainable development at the heart of our cultural development, we’re also keen to collaborate together wherever possible. This platform will be a great help in achieving our goals.”
Being a City of Film means that Bristol can build on its well-established moving image industry and further embed UNESCO’s values into how films are watched, made and learnt about film in the city.
It also helps Bristol’s film community engage with, and learn from, other cities around the world by forging international collaborations, creating new artistic exchange programmes and exploring cross cultural projects that combine film with other mediums within the Creative City fields.
Bristol City of Film is led by Bristol City Council, Bristol Film Office, UWE Bristol, the University of Bristol, Destination Bristol and The Bottle Yard Studios.
