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Teesside entrepreneur launches film production business following DigitalCity Fellowship

Landmarks of Teesside are being immortalised on film thanks to the work of a newly-established filmmaker.

Matt McGough set up his company Ithica Films with the help of a DigitalCity Fellowship and has already attracted considerable praise for his ‘Love Letters to Teesside’ series of short films.

Prior to founding Ithica Films, Matt spent a decade working for film companies across Europe, the USA and China.

The Teesside University graduate opted to set up his own business after learning about the DigitalCity Fellowship scheme which offers entrepreneurs up to £4,000 per co-founder to cover their living costs as they develop a business product or idea.

Applications are currently being sought for the next round of DigitalCity Fellowships. The application deadline is 12noon on Monday, 1 December.

Fellows inducted on the scheme, which is based at Teesside University and supported by European Regional Development funding, are also able to access industry-specific mentoring from leading business figures, workshops and a lab equipped with relevant hardware and software.

Ithica Films specialises in creating films for business and has already attracted a number of clients in the engineering and process industries on Teesside.

Matt, who is originally from Middlesbrough and now lives in Stockton, is also working on the ‘Love Letters to Teesside’ sequence of short films.

The films use slow motion footage and interesting camera angles to highlight a particular landmark on Teesside.

So far, he has completed films on the Temenos sculpture and Infinity Bridge, both of which have been extremely well received on social media. More films are planned in the near future.

Matt said: “Starting my own business has been fantastic and the Fellowship has helped me to achieve that.

“It has allowed me to go from being a cameraman to a filmmaker.

“Before starting Ithica Films, through my work, I’d met a number of people who came through the DigitalCity Fellowship programme and they had real inner strength.

“I feel like my own skills have improved and I’m in a lot more control of what I can do.

“This region has a great history and I’m very proud to come from here.

“I wanted to use the films to help people re-engage with the area and to remind them of some of the fantastic landmarks in the region, that perhaps we take for granted.

“The series is beginning to take on a life of its own.

“It’s great that people are able to connect with them and are able to see Teesside in a different light.”

Creative Director at DigitalCity, Marc de Launay, said: “We are delighted to have been able to help Matt set up his own business.

“He is producing some exceptional work and his ‘Love Letters to Teesside’ series of films are doing a fantastic job at helping to promote this area.”

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