HOLLYWOOD heavyweights and the cream of British cinema are helping to put Bradford on the global film-making map.

The countdown to Bradford International Film Summit, showcasing the district's work in film and television production, began this week at the official unveiling of the major three-day event.

Actor Michael Palin and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - the organisation behind the Oscars - were among those attending the event, held at Westminster and hosted by Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Shipley MP Philip Davies.

The summit, celebrating Bradford’s coveted title of the world’s first UNESCO City of Film, will bring leaders in international and UK film to the city next spring to discuss and share ideas during three days of film and TV-related events.

From March 4-6, a series of seminars, screenings and talks will examine Bradford City of Film's work in bringing about social and economic change through film and television.

Guests will be invited to tour the district's film locations and landmarks and learn about the Bradford Film Literacy Programme and Bradford College’s International Film School. There will be a focus on business opportunities to capitalise on film production, and there will be screenings of films made locally.

Bradford City of Film director David Wilson said the summit would raise the district's international profile and create opportunities for new alliances and collaborations.

"This is our chance to show to the world how Bradford is attracting film-making, and using film in education and to benefit businesses," he said.

Guests will include representatives from BAFTA, Women in Film and Television and the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, who will discuss ways of expanding and developing the role of film in society, and its benefits to public and private sectors.

Carola Ash, director of Europe for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said: “ We visited Bradford last year to look at the excellent National Media Museum and met the team at Bradford City of Film. The work around film and TV in Bradford is outstanding and we are very supportive of the Film Summit in 2015.”

The diverse landscapes of Bradford district, spanning urban sprawls, architectural jewels and bleak moorland, have attracted a range of film and television drama makers.

Productions shot here over recent years include multi award-winning film The Selfish Giant, period dramas Peaky Blinders, The Great Train Robbery and Jamaica Inn, police series DCI Banks, and soon-to-be-released films Testament of Youth and Get Santa, starring Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall and Warwick Davies.

Sheffield-born Monty Python legend Michael Palin is currently on our TV screens in BBC1 supernatural thriller Remember Me, which was filmed in Yorkshire and co-stars two young Bradford actors.

One of Mr Palin's best known films is A Private Function, shot in Ilkley.

Speaking at the summit announcement, the actor, writer, broadcaster and funnyman said: “There are lots of advantages to filming in Yorkshire. It is a beautiful part of the world and has provided the backdrop to some great films that have been made there.

"There is a real momentum around film and TV in Yorkshire and especially in Bradford. It’s wonderful to be here at the launch of the Bradford Film Summit.”

Organisers of the summit are working in partnership with the BBC, the British Film Institute, Screen Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Film Archive to design a programme of film and TV inspired events.

Speakers already confirmed for the summit include Mark Reid, head of education at the BFI, who helped develop the Bradford Film Literacy Programme, and Anne Morrison, chairman of BAFTA.

Steve Abbott, producer of films such as Brassed Off and A Fish called Wanda, and chairman of the Bradford City of Film board, said: “The Bradford International Film Summit is a first for Bradford and a first for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. We look forward to welcoming international guests and experts from the film and television industry to share and build on the work we are doing in Bradford to use film for cultural and economic benefit.”

Bradford was the first city awarded the UNESCO City of Film title, in 2009, and the following year it went to Sydney in Australia. This week 28 cities from 19 countries joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, recognising areas such as design, literature and music. They include three new Cities of Film - Galway in Ireland, Busan in South Korea and Sofia in Bulgaria.

The designations, announced by Alfredo Perez de Armiñán, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, are the result of an evaluation process of 50 candidates earlier this year.

Mr Wilson said: "I am delighted to welcome three new film cities to the network and look forward to building fruitful relationships with them, and to sharing experiences around film education, production and exhibition."

* For more about Bradford International Film Summit visit bradford-city-of-film.com/summit