03/10/2002 - The ideal location for the athletic Angelina Jolie's latest adventures is Wales, the site of a brand-new state-of-the-art film studio in abandoned mines in Llanilid

The Welsh Assembly has just approved the plan from JV Partnership to develop a £350m (Euros 525 million) state-of-the art film studio on the site of an old open-face mine in Llanilid, Wales.
The project which would also include a film academy and a Universal-style leisure park, would create a minimum 2,000 jobs in the region. Local authorities still have to give their final approval to the project which will officially be named Dragon International Studios.
Wales was recently chosen by Paramount as the location for the second instalment of Tomb Raider: Lara Croft And The Cradle Of Life starring Angelina Jolie. The film crew of some 150 people spent four weeks in six different locations in the Snowdonia region. The film set brought employment to 60 local businesses.
The Welsh Assembly’s decision to back Dragon Studios is a step forward for the local government in its plan to develop a film industry in the region. During a visit to the Lara Croft set last week, the Welsh Minister for Culture, Jenny Randerson confirmed that the Assembly's government “will be looking to provide further support through the establishment of a Film Fund for Wales which will contribute to the growth of the film sector in Wales”.

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