New partnership with Sunbelt Rentals UK & Ireland will boost skills offer

Sunbelt Rentals UK & Ireland (Formally PKE Lighting, MovieTech, Media Access Solutions, Alpha Grip and Acorn) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Liverpool City Council’s Film Office to help transform lives of local communities through film and TV production.

As a strategic partner, Sunbelt Rentals will work with Liverpool Film Office to collaborate on an ambitious programme of activity to help build a stronger, more diverse and skilled screen workforce across the Liverpool City Region and support Liverpool City Council’s Net Zero goal.

This partnership will bolster training initiatives to support 1,000 diverse new entrants, boost outreach and surgeries across the Liverpool City Region, support film & TV industry career open days and encourage sustainability best practice by the film and TV industry filming on location in Liverpool and across LCR.

In its 35th year in operation and the oldest film office in Europe, Liverpool Film Office had its busiest year to date in 2023, welcoming 301 productions to the Liverpool City Region including Paramount+’s A Gentleman In Moscow and Sexy Beast, BBC’s The Responder series 2 and Time series 2 plus Prime Video’s Dead Hot.

Head of Liverpool Film Office, Lynn Saunders said: “This new strategic partnership with Sunbelt Rentals is a first for us and fantastic news for everyone involved in film and TV production in the Liverpool City Region.

“By working together, we can maximise meaningful and lasting social impact with our film & TV clients.

“Along with the skills and outreach element, we will be hitting the ground running for our work towards sustainable futures in our region, leading the way in best practices for the industry.

“We’re looking forward to working with Sunbelt Rentals to leave a lasting legacy on film and TV production in the Liverpool City Region, and further afield, for years to come.”

Mike Pollard, Managing Director for Film and TV at Sunbelt Rentals added “We’re delighted to partnering with Liverpool Film Office. Through this collaboration, we aim to bring about positive change by offering innovative and sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact on the industry.”

With our expertise in camera, grip, lighting, and location services, combined with our in-house social impact team, we’re able to provide a wide range of equipment and training opportunities. Our goal is to not only enhance productions and the support the local community, but also to create positive social impact.”