Bristol’s outstanding contribution to film culture and creativity was recently given global recognition with the announcement that it had been named a UNESCO City of Film.

Put this together with the world-renowned Bristol Old Vic Theatre School - the training ground of many a leading lady (and man), plus a host of film festivals and a sprinkle of Hollywood glamour and you can create your own Bristol itinerary full of Oscars-themed fun.

Bristol Old Vic & Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Image - Bristol Old Vic

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is something of a powerhouse when it comes to churning out Oscar winners - Daniel Day Lewis and Jeremy Irons are both alumni, as are nominees Miranda Richardson, Pete Postlethwaite and Naomie Harris. Theatre lovers should seek out productions by current theatre school students – it’s very possible they could be the next big stars!

The Bristol Old Vic Theatre itself is the oldest continually running theatre in the English speaking world – in 2016 it celebrated its 250th birthday. Every effort has been made to preserve the much-loved theatre's original features, and some say it may even still be haunted by ghosts of its characters’ past. 

• Here's 6 things we bet you didn't know about Bristol Old Vic

Aardman Animations

Image - Wallace and Gromit, credit Aardman Animations

With 10 nominations and four wins, Aardman are officially Oscar legends. One of the sets from The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (winner of Best Animated Feature – 2006) can be seen within the ‘Animate It’ exhibition in We The Curious, where you can learn to animate your own stop-motion feature. Aardman also offer team building experiences for corporates and groups with their ‘Make a Model’ workshops.

This summer, Aardman’s iconic characters Gromit, Wallace and Feathers McGraw will take to the streets of Bristol in Gromit Unleashed 2 (2 July -2 September) – its third major arts trail with children’s charity, Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal. The trail promises to be bigger and better than ever with exciting themes of technology and innovation, plus interactive sculptures.

• Meet Aardman model maker Jim Parkin

Cary Grant

Cary Grant at the Avon Gorge Hotel, in front of Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, credit Evening Post

Born in Bristol in 1904, Archibald Leach (Cary Grant’s real name, the name of his dog and John Cleese’s character in the Oscar nominated A Fish Called Wanda) was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1970 after being nominated twice. Grant began his career at Bristol Hippodrome before leaving for the USA and gaining US citizenship there in 1942. Grant regularly came back to the city and many pictures can be found with him at famous landmarks including Bristol Cathedral, Brunel’s SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge. He has been commemorated with a statue on Millennium Square (outside We The Curious), in street art form outside Room 212 on Gloucester Rd and with a blue plaque outside his childhood home in Horfield. Look out for the biannual Cary Grant Festival – Cary Comes Home (the next one is in autumn 2018).

Encounters Film Festival

Image - Minions creator (and man behind their voice) Pierre Coffin at Encounters 2017

The longest running competitive short film and animation festival in the UK, Encounters takes place at Watershed and Arnolfini in Bristol every September and is one of the most important film festivals in the city's calendar. There is a great public programme along with industry events. 

Each year the Encounters Festival Grand Prix winners qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the Annual Academy Awards as well as other prestigious film awards including the BAFTAs and the European Film Awards.

• Director of Encounters, Rich Warren, shares his favourite places to eat and drink in the city for film buffs.

Wildlife Oscars – Wildscreen Festival

Trailer - Wildscreen Festival 2018

The Wildscreen Festival (15-19 Oct 2018) which takes place every two years in Bristol, is the world's leading international festival celebrating and rewarding excellence in wildlife film-making. The Wildscreen Panda Awards are considered the highest accolade – the Oscars for the wildlife film and TV industry.

• Discover more about the festival celebrating the world's best natural world storytellers here.

Other Oscar nominees 

Image - Martin Freeman & Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock, courtesy of Hartswood Films for the BBC

Dev Patel, Oscar nominee in 2017, has a strong Bristol connection. Dev played the role of Anwar Kharral in Skins – the Channel 4 show filmed in Bristol – see more about Skins locations. 

Benedict Cumberbatch, nominated for Best Actor in 2015, has also spent much filming time in Bristol. Cumberbatch starred in BBC1's phenomenally popular Sherlock, for which Bristol has played host on various occasions since the series began in 2010. 

Animation legend & triple Oscar winner, Richard Williams is best-known for his work as Animation Director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Williams also directed the Academy Award-winning A Christmas Carol (1971). Canadian-born Williams has clocked up an amazing three Oscar wins and now lives in Bristol. His recent animated short, Prologue, which he finished off at Aardman Animations and debuted in 2015, was nominated in the Best Animated Short Film category at the Oscars 2016.

• Explore Sherlock filming locations with a special map from Bristol Film Office.

Oscar-winning makeup artist, Peter Owen

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Former University of Bristol student and long-time Bristol resident, Peter Owen is a makeup artist who won Best Makeup for the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at the 74th Academy Awards. He shared his win with Richard Taylor.

Over his career, Owen has racked up a ton of wins and nominations for films including Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Peter Owen now lives just outside Bristol and spent six years at Bristol Old Vic – the training ground and springboard for his career.

• See what's on at Bristol Old Vic and book tickets now!

Bristol as a filming location

Mark Rylance, Bristol Cathedral, photo credit BBC

Mark Rylance, star of Wolf Hall, was nominated for his supporting role in Stephen Spielberg's Cold War drama, Bridge of Spies. Rylance recently filmed the BBC’s Wolf Hall at several locations in the city including Bristol Cathedral, Berkeley Castle, the Floating Harbour and The Bottle Yard Studios. Visitors are able to take a ‘Wolf Hall Tour’ at the Cathedral and the rooms and Bailey Gates seen in the programme are included in Berkeley Castle’s historic tours.

• Check dates for upcoming Wolf Hall tours at Bristol Cathedral.

Watch the movies!

Image - Holotronica at Encounters 2017

Bristol is spoilt with a choice of big screen branded theatres to art house cinemas to outdoor screenings, plus film nights in the most unusual places. Bristol Film Festival and Cinema Rediscovered are great ways to rediscover old favourites and Oscar winners and nominees in new surroundings. How about The African Queen at RWA, Electric Shadows - Days of Heaven at Bristol Cathedral, Edward Scissor Hands at Redcliffe Caves or Corpse Bride at Arnos Vale Cemetery? Or relive the magic of one of the greatest movie heroes, Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark with John Williams’ epic score performed live to picture by The Czech National Symphony Orchestra at Colston Hall.

• Find more blockbuster movies set to music from a live orchestra at Colston Hall here.

La La Land in Bristol

Image - Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) in LA LA LAND. Photo credit: Dale Robinette

• Discover how to find some of that tippety-tap La La Land dancing magic right here in our fair city.