Ffilm Cymru and Clwstwr launch new Green Cymru Challenge Fund for a sustainable screen sector in Wales

Research, development and innovation can support the Welsh film industry to be more sustainable and make greener choices.

The Green Cymru Challenge Fund is part of the wider Green Cymru programme which was first developed by Ffilm Cymru in 2019. It aims to support screen sector professionals and companies in Wales to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Their Green Cymru programme will provide funding and training, alongside research and development to advance products and services for a sustainable screen sector for Wales. 

Welsh Government’s 2019 declaration of a climate emergency called for collective action and emphasised “Wales can provide an example to others of what it means to achieve environmental growth”- Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths; Ffilm Cymru and Clwstwr believe that by working together, Wales’ thriving and vibrant screen industries can lead the way in lowering environmental impact.

The Green Cymru Challenge Fund will make available £75,000 in funding for individuals, organisations and collaborations across sectors – including media, academia, technology, transportation, energy, water and waste management - to research and develop new sustainable ways of working in film and TV. 

After submitting an expression of interest, applicants will be invited to develop their ideas practically at Challenge Workshops, before completing a formal application. By November 2021, three successful teams will be awarded up to £25,000 each to develop and deliver their innovative projects.

Ffilm Cymru Wales CEO, Pauline Burt, said: “We have to prepare for the future now. Wales has a vibrant screen sector that is rapidly growing. We have to ensure that growth is sustainable from providing fair and inclusive work, to embedding excellent environmental practice. The Challenge Fund should connect expertise across sectors to collectively help us to better understand the challenges that the creative industries face in being greener and to advance practical solutions to adopt in our day-to-day work. Together, we’ll share learning and expand networks, working alongside partners such as BAFTA’s Albert and Green Regio, who work across Europe.”

Clwstwr's vision is for Wales to become a leader in green media production. Clwstwr is committed to spurring innovative ideas for carbon footprint reduction and a lower environmental impact, both with the projects they fund and with the media sector across Wales.

Clwstwr Director, Professor Justin Lewis, said: “Green Cymru will help us realise our ambition to see Wales at the forefront of efforts to move media production towards net zero. Clwstwr has already supported a number of green innovation projects in the creative sector, and this partnership allows us to create practical innovations that move us one step further towards a clean, green creative economy.”