Bradford might not be Hollywood yet, but give it ten years.

The aim of the City of Film is to make Bradford a hub of film-making by 2020. To be honest, though you might not have noticed it yourself, we’re halfway there already. And that’s thanks in no part to the work of Screen Yorkshire, the regional film-development agency which has the dual role of encouraging local film-makers and bringing in big productions to shoot their movies in our turf.

Screen Yorkshire’s Andrew Craske is convinced that Bradford is up to the job that the UNESCO City of Film accolade sets it.

“This is a great area for film-makers,” says Andrew. “Not only have we got some stunning scenery and some great urban locations, but we’ve also got a huge number of movie professionals living here.”

Screen Yorkshire runs a database for people involved in film-making at all levels, and at the last count had more than 130 professionals on its books who live and work in the Bradford district.

Andrew says: “We have got some great film-related education courses in Bradford, at the University and the College, already up and running. There are some great opportunities for starting out.”

Young people today are more media-savvy than they have ever been, and have affordable technology at their fingertips.

Andrew says, “A good camcorder can be bought for a few hundred pounds, and there are very cheap ways of showcasing the finished product – free, for example, online at places like YouTube.”

In fact, says Andrew, there are more and more opportunities today than there have ever been for anyone who wants to break into the film industry. And, crucially, it doesn’t have to involve a move to London.

He says: “It used to be that you would certainly have to consider a move to the capital if you wanted to work in any aspect of the film industry. But now there are moves to identify creative talent and keep it in the area. Things are happening on a more regional level now – the BBC, for instance, is moving a lot of its production to Manchester.”

As well as helping to train, identify and encourage people with an interest in film-making, the other side of the Screen Yorkshire coin is to attract film-crews – and investment – to Bradford.

“Our job is to sell the region to film-makers,” says Andrew. “And that can be in one of two ways – either we’ll bring them in because we’ve get exactly the right location that they want, or we’ll organise access to finance and put them in touch with fully-trained and professional crew through our database.”

According to Screen Yorkshire, 30 films for cinema and television were shot in Bradford in the five years leading up to 2009. Recent hits include Wuthering Heights, Red Riding, The Damned United and the new Kay Mellor TV series A Passionate Woman.

Like everyone else, those in the film industry have had to weather the recession. Andrew says, “It has been a challenging time, but we are convinced the industry is going to flourish.

“Bradford is a really film-friendly place on many levels, and our long-term aim is to grow that reputation via City of Film.”