Gabriel Films and a revitalised Bronco Films are among the beneficiaries of Development Loan Awards funded by the Scottish Screen National Lottery in partnership with the Scottish Enterprise Creative Industries Team.

The two companies will each receive $107,000 (£75,000) of working capital to finance a slate of new film and television productions. Bronco has also recently received development funding of Euros125,000 a year for two years from MEDIA 2 and has a number of projects in development including the $7m (£5m) The Flying Scotsman telling the inspirational true story of champion cyclist Graeme Obree. Bronco's Peter Broughan describes the film as "Chariots Of Fire meets The Full Monty in lycra" and expects to announce the cast and director before Christmas. Shooting is scheduled for early Spring of 2001.

Other Bronco projects to benefit from the award include a $5.7-7m (£4-5m) adaptation of James Hogg's macabre classic Private Memoirs And Confessions Of A Justified Sinner which Peter Mullan is attached to direct; Flora, a historical epic on the relationship between Flora McDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie; and two scripts by writer-actor Paul Matthews - Drama and Time War SPQR.

Gabriel's extensive slate of productions includes action thriller The Bothy, horror story Blood Relative and road movie Passing Places which Brian Kirk is attached to direct.

Saltire Productions, Monogram/Wark Clements and Ecosse Films have all been awarded $72,000 (£50,000) each under the scheme. Responsible for the Oscar-nominated Mrs. Brown, Ecosse is currently in pre-production on the $23m adaptation of Charlotte Gray directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup.