Over the past half century Bristol has become a world centre for natural history film making, with an extraordinary concentration of talent and expertise. Since the BBC launched its Natural History Unit here in the 1950s, the city has been the birthplace of the world's most enduring wildlife and nature programmes.

First broadcast in 1979, Life on Earth made presenter and zoologist David Attenborough into an international star, and to date the series - which was filmed in 39 countries and featured over 650 species - has been seen by an estimated 500 million people around the world. The series launched a new era in natural history film making, with Attenborough and the NHU responsible for world-class series like Planet Earth (2006) and Life in Cold Blood (2008).

The presence of the NHU has attracted a wealth of TV talent to Bristol. Since the early 1990s independent production company Icon Films has been making innovative, award-winning programmes with an emphasis on storytelling and wildlife conservation.

It is no accident that Bristol is home to the Wildscreen Festival, which has been bringing together the world's natural history filmmakers and producers for twenty-five years. With its prestigious Panda Awards - the industry's Oscars - Wildscreen is a major international festival worth an estimated £1m to Bristol's economy.