Pinewood to launch Indie Film Hub

The Pinewood Indie Film Hub will exclusively support filmmakers in the UK who are taking advantage of the UK’s newly introduced Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC).

The new film hub will incorporate sound stages, as well as production offices and ancillary areas such as workshop space.

The facility will have support services and packages for lower-budget, independent films – while having access to the Pinewood Studios ecosystem from camera hire to drone photography to post-production.

Independent producers will also be able to use the “Prep Den” to develop their projects before being green-lit. The facility will be serviced by 100% renewable electricity sources and available to film productions with budgets that sit within the IFTC framework from summer next year.

The IFTC was confirmed this week by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy as the London Film Festival got underway.

Productions with a budget up to £15m will be eligible for a relief of 53% on qualifying expenditure. Films with a budget up to £23.5m are also eligible for the IFTC and the relief will be tapered.

The announcement of the Pinewood Indie Film Hub coincided with a visit by Lisa Nandy, who toured the wider Pinewood Studios site.

Nandy said: “Pinewood’s new state-of-the-art facility will be a huge boost for the UK’s indie filmmakers, offering first-rate infrastructure and on-site expertise to bring more British productions to the big screen.

“Together with our new indie film tax relief, we are delivering targeted investment and support for the UK’s world-leading screen industries, designed to inspire more award-winning storytelling, help drive economic growth and strengthen Britain’s competitive advantage in a fierce global market.”

David Conway, CEO of Pinewood Group, said: “UK film production is at the heart of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios’ DNA, and our aim with the new Pinewood Indie Film Hub is to further catalyse the independent film sector in the UK, boosting creativity and attracting further investment into the UK. In this highly competitive global market, we welcome the new IFTC and feel it is going to further consolidate the UK’s leading position in the screen industries.”