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As part of Wales Week in London the Economy Secretary will be showcasing Wales’ significant success in attracting productions such as Will, The Collection and Sherlock to an audience of influential TV and film producers. 

He will also launch a new promotional showreel, introduced by Hollywood A-lister, Michael Sheen, that features clips from the some of the latest major productions filmed in Wales and promotes everything that the country has to offer as a filming location. 

The showreel features footage from The Bastard Executioner (Fox), The Collection (Lookout Point), Doctor Who (BBC) and Sherlock (Hartswood Films) and highlights other productions filmed in Wales in recent years including Criminal, Me Before You, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Transformers: The Last Knight and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

It contains interviews with producers Steven Moffat (Doctor Who; Sherlock); Jane Tranter co-founder of Bad Wolf and Oliver Goldstick (The Collection) who extol the benefits of filming in Wales including superb locations, experienced crews, great facilities, accommodation and the general film-friendliness and support available.

Locations also play a major part in the showreel, showcasing the versatility and beauty that exists in Wales. 

The showreel reflects what was an extremely busy and successful 2016 for Wales Screen – part of the Welsh Government’s Creative Industries team – which handled 386 production enquiries and recorded more than £41m spent in Wales by productions supported by the Welsh Government.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:

“I am delighted to be in London as part of Wales in London Week promoting Wales as the premier filming location that it genuinely is. 

“The Creative Industry is a huge growth area for our economy and 2016 was a stellar year for TV and film production in Wales  – but we are determined to keep building on our  success . 

“The showreel is an excellent promotional tool to help us achieve this, focusing  on everything that Wales has to  offer film makers. It will be used extensively at specialist events throughout the year to target key UK and international players in the creative sector ”

Michael Sheen said: 

“Wales can offer the best of everything for film-makers. I believe the successes of 2016 are only the beginning. The future for the creative industries in Wales is massively exciting.”

The funding will support a scientific investigation of the opportunities and risks posed by climate change in the Irish Sea and the deployment of technology to reduce energy costs and help businesses develop new products and processes.

Both projects are being funded through the EU’s Ireland-Wales co-operation programme, which is helping to strengthen economic links and cross-border collaboration between the two countries.

Welsh Government Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: 

“These projects bring together expertise from both nations to support an industry in Wales and Ireland that shares the same opportunities, challenges and resources within the Irish Sea.

“Collaborative schemes like these are why we are clear about the advantages to Wales of ongoing access to territorial co-operation programmes, including the Ireland-Wales programme, when the UK leaves the EU.”

Irish Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, T.D. said: 

“I am delighted to see the launch of another two projects under the Ireland-Wales programme.  

“This is a clear demonstration of our continuing commitment to the programme. It also underlines the importance of EU funding for scientific research into areas of shared interest.”

Around €5.5m of EU funds will support the Bluefish marine science partnership, which will investigate the effects of climate change in the Irish Sea on the sustainability of fish and shellfish.

Led by Bangor University, in partnership with Irish and Welsh organisations, the project will assess how climate change is affecting the health of fish stocks, the migratory movement of commercial fish, and risks from new non-native species.

The project will develop solutions to help fisheries businesses adapt to environmental changes in the Irish Sea and capitalise on new commercial opportunities.

Dr Shelagh Malham, senior research fellow at Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said: 

“We need to maintain a sustainable food supply chain. 

“The combination of research between academic partners and collaboration with industry partners will ensure these vital industries receive the information and support they need to be more resilient to the changes the industry is facing and will continue to face in coming years, and to react to opportunities.”

A further €1.8m of EU funds will support the piSCES project, which will develop and test a new ‘smart grid’ electricity network to help reduce energy costs for the fisheries industry in Ireland and Wales.

The Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) at Waterford Institute of Technology will research and design new energy networks in collaboration with Cardiff University, while Milford Haven Port Authority and Ireland’s seafood development agency, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), will work with businesses in the fish processing sector to provide live data and test sites.

piSCES aims to help fisheries businesses in remote locations minimise their exposure to energy price peaks, reduce their carbon footprint and improve the quality and security of energy supply.

Sean Lyons, project manager at TSSG, said: 

“TSSG is delighted to have secured EU funding through the Ireland-Wales programme for the piSCES project, which will see us further develop smart grid technologies and implement them in energy-intensive operations in the fish processing industry.

“Collaborating cross border with our partners will bring together a wealth of experience from an R&D and implementation perspective and expose the technology to different regulatory environments bringing significant benefits to the industry.”