The Welsh screen sector came together in Cardiff this month for the Wales Screen Summit 2025. Leading professionals from the film and TV industry met to pitch new ideas, form new connections and continue to shape the growth of the production landscape in Wales. We caught up with Hannah Roose, ScreenSkills Training Liaison Manager for Wales, for her thoughts and event highlights from the two-day summit.
It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces and plenty of new ones, sharing ideas and celebrating creativity. Day 1 opened with powerful industry insights and addresses from Summit founder, Emyr Afan OBE, Geraint Evans, Chief Executive, S4C and John McVay OBE, PACT Chief Executive. Morning sessions saw members of broadcasters and production companies debate and discuss ideas around scripted and unscripted TV and highlight some recent success stories.
A standout moment came later at the ‘Stronger Together: Support Networks for the Screen Industries’ session. The ScreenSkills sponsored session saw, Sarah Joyce, Head of Unscripted TV, ScreenSkills, join leading organisations and charities to discuss the practical and emotional support available to freelancers and indie producers. Speaking alongside members of The TV Mindset, The Film & TV Charity, Bectu and CULT Cymru, Sarah showcased how ScreenSkills supports the sector, offering training, resources and guidance that help individuals thrive, navigate industry challenges and build resilient, connected careers.
Sarah Joyce said: “The Wales Screen Summit was a brilliant event. There were hard hitting sessions discussing the state of the industry and alongside this there were insights about sport, sustainability, drama, IP, digital, and AI as well as the Summit’s first pitching competition, and chats with Eve Myles, Harry Hambley, Jordan Schwarzenberger, and Tim Davie. I was proud to take part in the session sponsored by the Unscripted TV Skills Fund which highlighted the support available to freelancers across the industry. Events like these help us develop new ways of working together to help build a skilled and supported screen workforce.”
Another highlight was the fireside chat between actor Eve Myles and BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip, offering a captivating look at Eve’s career and her perspective on storytelling, representation and Welsh voices on the global stage.
Between sessions, I enjoyed connecting with our partners, producers, freelancers and emerging talent having conversations that sparked collaboration, new opportunities and shared learning across the industry.
Day 2 featured the S4C Hansh Pitch Competition Final, where three finalists pitched their ideas live on stage for £3,000 development funding. Congratulations to Steffan Morris, whose idea won the judges’ support as a brilliant showcase of emerging Welsh talent. It was a great reminder of why nurturing early-career professionals is so important to the health of the wider screen sector.
It was an inspiring couple of days and I’m looking forward to continuing the ever-evolving conversations to support the industry.
A big thank you to Afanti Media for hosting the Summit and to Hollie Abbott, whose work producing the event was a dream to collaborate with. Sponsoring and taking part in the Summit reminded us why events like this matter: they spark collaboration, amplify new voices and strengthen the community that keeps Wales’ screen sector thriving.