Film star Sean Bean hired to help promote Yorkshire as industrial powerhouse

A film production company has created “Project Yorkshire”, a cinematic showcase which aims to promote the region on the world stage.

Produced by Sid Sadowskyj and Scott Elliott of Elsa Media, Project Yorkshire is a strategic campaign with a 15- minute film narrated by Sean Bean at its heart.

The goal is to show people across the world the benefits of living, working in and visiting Yorkshire and aims to boost the county’s economy.

Sadowskyj said: “When the news started reporting on the devastating impact the lockdown was having on local businesses and the economy, we knew someone needed to step up to help our county, our residents and businesses, to emerge stronger.

“Scott and I came up with the idea of creating a short film that could act as a calling card for local councils, businesses and anyone else in the region to use to promote all that is great about Yorkshire and why we believe it is the best place for people to visit, live and invest.

“We wanted to create more than just another ‘tourism advert or business investment video’. So we contacted some of our associates in the industry, including Hollywood composers, storytellers and writers to collaborate with us.”

Investing £100,000 of their own money into Project Yorkshire, Sadowskyj and Elliott have also received backing from councils including Scarborough, Leeds, Kirklees, Bradford, Hull and East Riding, Harrogate and Calderdale as well as the North Yorkshire Growth Hub and Marketing Humber.

Businesses in the region including Masons Gin, Kirklees College, Hunters and Siddall and Hilton, have also invested.

Currently in the final stages of production, the film features numerous locations across Yorkshire including cityscapes, popular tourist spots and local businesses.

The finished movie, which will be available to download free of charge online, will be released at a premiere event on 1 August.

Sadowskyj said: “Sean was our first choice for narrator. Being a Yorkshire man himself with an iconic Yorkshire accent, not to mention his role as ‘King of the North’ in Game of Thrones, there was no one better for the job.

“It’s been a huge honour to work with him on this project, as it’s clear it means just as much to him to champion his home county as it does to us.”

Bean was born in Sheffield and has starred in many productions over the years, including The Lord of The Rings, Golden Eye, The Martian and more recently Time, for which he won the title of Best leading Actor at the BAFTA Television 2022 awards.

Following the film launch, a second stage of the campaign will see the filmmakers create a bank of marketing assets including images, clips and artwork that could be used in digital and printed marketing materials, across social media channels and on TV and radio.

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