The UK Government announced on Sunday, that it will allow a number of film and television productions to be exempt from its quarantine rules, in the hopes of allowing international blockbusters, filmed on UK shores, to get underway.

The Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, has said that international film and high-end TV actors, directors and producers, deemed essential to the production, will be able to resume filming this summer.

“The world’s biggest blockbusters and high-end TV shows are made in Britain,” says Dowden. “Our creativity, expertise and highly successful tax reliefs for our screen industries means that we are an in demand location that in turn delivers a great return for our economy. We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again.”

This exemption will only apply to individuals travelling to England to work on film and television productions which qualify as British under one of the government’s cultural tests or official co-production treaties. Any such individuals will be required to remain for 14 days within a ‘bubble’ that includes only their place of accommodation and production location.

This latest step recognises the ability of cast and crew to isolate and develop practical solutions for safe working practices. The government’s press release gives the nod to the screen industry’s considerable progress in preparing to resume work, particularly as a result of the BFI’s COVID-19 Screen Sector Task Force and the British Film Commission’s production guidance.

Of the exemption, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission, Adrian Wootton, said: “While the British Film Commission COVID-19 production guidance published last month is already helping to restart production safely, this considered exemption will allow international cast and crew back in the country, and back on set, to continue work on the blockbuster films and high-end TV productions at our biggest studio facilities.”

The Government will be providing further details later this week. For the current press release, please see here.