A star-studded Education Summit hosted by Marlow Film Studios recruited award-winning directors to speak at a Bucks film school. 

The event, hosted by the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, brought together education officials and international filmmakers to speak about the importance of the growing UK industry on March 9.

Over 100 filmmakers, educators and policymakers participated in a series of panels and addresses focused on how best to retain Buckinghamshire's leading position in the realm of high-end television and film production.

Notable attendees included Oscar-winning producer of The King's Speech, Gareth Ellis-Unwin and Bafta-winning producer of Call the Midwife, Dame Pippa Harris.

Manager of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), John Browning, spoke of the important role studio developments in the area would play in providing jobs for the 400 young people who graduate from Buckinghamshire College's creative industries courses each year. 

Principal and CEO of the Bucks College Group, Jenny Craig, agreed that Marlow Film Studios presented invaluable opportunities for future graduates.

She said: "With all this fresh talent being educated in Buckinghamshire, providing great jobs for them here would be ideal and would reduce the need for newly qualified students to move out of the county.

"Preparing our students for the film industry and gaining strong and meaningful work experience, as well as learning from people who can give them real insight, is key."

Former CEO of the British Film Institute, Amanda Nevill, also attended the event and highlighted recent BFI data which revealed that one in five children in the UK said working in the film industry is their dream career.

The Film Studios project is predicted to provide 4180 new jobs in the area and its plans include dedicated training facilities to encourage young people to pursue roles in the creative sector.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's budget announcement in Parliament last week included tax relief provisions for the film and television industry, to drive momentum for what he described as a "critical sector". 

Former Culture Minister, Lord Ed Vaizey, said tax credits have been incredibly successful for the development of the UK media production industry.

He added: "We haven't guaranteed Britain's position yet, but we've got to the stage where people do now understand the huge economic impact of the industry. The culture here in the UK is unique and it's hard to find these amazing skills anywhere else in the world."

The summit comes ahead of Buckinghamshire Council's pending decision about the Marlow Film Studios development, which has met backlash from local residents due to its proposed site, on Greenbelt land.

The planning application for the project is expected to be determined in the coming months and is on the heels of Bucks Council's approval of a similar development in Wycombe.