Bradford has beaten off competition from Venice, Los Angeles and Cannes to become the world’s first film city.

It will join the creative cities networks set up by Unesco in 2004.

The West Yorkshire city was awarded the title due to its historical and continuous links to the medium.

Classic movies including Billy Liar and Monty Python’s Meaning of Life were filmed in the city, and it has recently played host to British Bollywood.

The city’s National Media Museum is the most visited museum outside of London, and is seen as a key lynchpin in its regeneration.

Unesco said that Bradford won the award for the central role film plays in the city’s development and regeneration scheme.

Film-making has been used as a ‘cultural tool in harmonising community relations and maintaining balance between creativity and economic development.

Bradford is ‘one of the rare cities that forge their cultural identity and integrity through the medium of cinema’, it said.

by Clare Goff

Article by NewStart