Suffolk Economy In Focus: Screen Suffolk

From our rolling countryside and moody beaches to the hustle and bustle of our market towns, Suffolk has no shortage of screen-ready locations. Ensuring that filmmakers can find these locations and make the most of them is the role of Screen Suffolk, which acts as a ‘one-stop’ film service for the county.   

The impact this has on the county is substantial. Film & TV production brings huge economic benefits, from employment opportunities to supply chain contracts. It also generates local economic spend and draws a new audience of holidaymakers participating in ‘set-jetting’’ – film tourism.  

To date, Screen Suffolk has supported more than 650 productions and helped generate an estimated £20m+ in economic impact for the county. 

Thanks to that support, Suffolk has made an appearance in a range of exciting recent productions, including films Yesterday and The Personal History of David Copperfield, and TV shows The Power and Magpie Murders. Suffolk’s beaches, green spaces, urban landscapes and cinematic open skies make it a fantastic filming location for a range of different productions.  

Behind the scenes at Screen Suffolk  

Screen Suffolk works on behalf of all the Suffolk Councils to promote and facilitate any incoming film or TV productions. This ranges from student films, adverts, music videos and photography, high end television for platforms like Netflix and Apple TV+ and major feature films. 

Suffolk now has more than 640 registered filming locations, ranging from beaches and stately homes to former military bases. Screen Suffolk also works with organisations including Suffolk Wildlife Trust and the University of Suffolk to help open up even more opportunities for productions. 

When a large production arrives with 300+ crew members, there is a huge amount of logistics to coordinate. Alongside finding locations, Screen Suffolk helps navigate practical considerations such as parking, traffic management and potential road closures to keep shoots running smoothly. 

Filmmakers are, of course, working in communities and sometimes around people’s homes. Screen Suffolk works with local Town and Parish Councils to minimise disruption, while also negotiating donations to relevant charities and community organisations. 

The Screen Suffolk showreel gives a flavour of what this all looks like in practice:  

Impacting our economy  

The economic impact of filming extends far beyond the productions themselves. Large shoots create demand for accommodation, catering, transport, construction, security, specialist services, and countless other suppliers. A major production can see hundreds of cast and crew members spending weeks or even months in the county, generating income for businesses of all sizes. 

Film and television can also introduce Suffolk to entirely new audiences. When viewers connect with a location on screen, many are inspired to visit it in real life – a growing trend often referred to as “set-jetting”. Examples include Sutton Hoo, which had a spike of interest following the release of The Dig – not just from tourists, but from locals who took the opportunity to explore a piece of history right on their doorstep.  

This wider visibility helps strengthen Suffolk’s reputation as a place to visit, work and invest, with screen productions showcasing the county’s distinctive landscapes, heritage and character to national and international audiences. 

Building skills and creating opportunities 

Alongside attracting productions, Screen Suffolk is focused on developing local talent and helping more people access careers in the screen industry. 

One of the key ways it does this is through its Set Ready programme, a two-day course designed to give participants the practical skills and industry knowledge needed to work on film and television productions. The programme combines classroom learning with paid on-set experience, helping people overcome one of the biggest barriers to entering the industry – securing that all-important first day on set. 

Working with Suffolk’s local authorities and education providers, Screen Suffolk has delivered courses for organisations including West Suffolk College, East Suffolk Council, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, and the Department for Work and Pensions. Recent programmes have created dozens of on-set placements with major productions filming in the county, giving participants valuable experience and industry contacts. 

We caught up with Abigail Radwell, who took part in the Set Ready programme. Her two-day course took her into London, where she learned a range of skills from radio etiquette to how to handle the financial side of working in the business.  

This led into her first industry placement: eight days as a location marshal on Project Hail Mary. She told us: “Set Ready gives people that don’t have any network that first and very crucial experience.” Abigail has continued working in the industry, and stayed in touch with the program’s leads. Her experience demonstrates how local training opportunities can open the door to a sector that can often seem difficult to access.  

By connecting Suffolk residents directly with productions filming in the county, Screen Suffolk is helping to build a stronger local workforce that can support future growth in the sector. 

Working with Suffolk businesses 

While the actors may be the most visible part of a production, successful filming relies on a vast network of local businesses working behind the scenes. 

Screen Suffolk currently has around 360 businesses registered through its network, ranging from caterers and accommodation providers to vehicle suppliers, specialist contractors and technical services. Businesses can also register to be considered for future opportunities linked to incoming productions. 

The range of opportunities is broader than many people might expect. Productions regularly need everything from hotel rooms and catering to fencing, plant hire, transport, construction materials, cleaning services and specialist equipment. 

As a result, the economic benefits of filming reach far beyond the creative industries and are felt across many parts of Suffolk’s economy. 

Examples include businesses such as Bentwaters Parks, which regularly hosts productions within its unique facilities, and Anthrotek, a Suffolk company that has successfully supplied the film and television sector through specialist fabrication work. 

For Suffolk businesses, filmmaking represents not only a source of revenue but also an opportunity to build relationships within a growing industry that is increasingly looking beyond traditional production hubs. 

To find out more or register a business, visit the Screen Suffolk website. 

Looking ahead 

As Screen Suffolk celebrates its tenth anniversary, the organisation can reflect on a decade of growth. When the service launched, Suffolk had only recorded a total of 30 filming days. Since then, that figure has grown dramatically, with more than 1,400 filming days recorded across the county.  

Much of this success has been built on collaboration. The continued support of Suffolk’s local authorities has enabled Screen Suffolk to respond quickly to industry opportunities and create a film-friendly environment that attracts productions of all sizes. 

Looking to the future, the ambition is to build on those foundations – attracting more productions, developing new filming locations, supporting local talent and strengthening Suffolk’s position as a leading destination for screen production. 

Because when the cameras roll in Suffolk, the benefits extend far beyond the screen.