The inaugural Scottish Film Summit wrapped today in Edinburgh with more than 200 delegates participating in two days of discussion about the future of film in Scotland.
Among recommendations to emerge from the summit were a manifesto for the development and growth of all aspects of the Scottish film industry and an annual summit to be held during Edinburgh International Film Festival, along with a series of events and activities through the year that will drive the development and growth of the sector.
During the session details also emerged of a new network of Scottish film producers who are joining forces in preparation to launch their own agency to progress the local industry.
It is being pursued by Independent Producers Scotland (IPS), which was set up last year.
Sigma co-founder Gillian Berrie described the agency to local newspaper The Scotsman: “We will be applying next month, via IPS, for regular funding from Creative Scotland to allow us to parachute in a new super-infrastructure.
“Scottish Enterprise, who are paying for the business plan, can see that not only would this be fantastic for production company development, but it would underpin the film studio and be a realignment of existing agencies.
“We’ve scrutinised the most successful production companies that operate in the industry today,” she explained. “We want to put something in place for the whole industry in Scotland. It would be the closest thing to a screen development agency. We would not be handing out project development funding, but we would be providing the infrastructure that we just don’t have and expertise that we can’t afford at present.”
Among delegates Screen spoke to there was uncertainty as to the impact a yes or no referendum vote would have on the industry.
However, most delegates agreed that whoever is in power must implement locally-specific film and TV tax breaks for the region.
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