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Scottish Film Industry Debates the Future of Scottish Film Post-Referendum

Posted By : Mukesh Dube    At 19-06-2014 21:53:43

Tags : Scottish Film Industry    Future of Scottish Film Post-Referendum    

Edinburgh – 19 June 2014 - Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) and Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) co-hosted the inaugural Scottish Film Summit in the nation’s capital yesterday, ahead of the Festival’s Opening Gala celebrations. Summarising the collective’s responses to a number of posed questions, the Summit’s nine Chairpersons and hosts Ken Hay, EIFF, and Dr Jonny Murray, ECA, today issued a formal statement.

Attended by over 200 industry delegates, the Summit included two keynote speeches from Creative Scotland CEO Janet Archer and Scottish film critic and journalist Siobhan Synnot. Attendees separated into seven break-out debate groups covering film education, screenwriting, exhibition, production, facilities, locations and film crew and technicians to discuss two questions during the morning and afternoon sessions examining both the business and cultural aspects of film.

Scottish industry bodies including Independent Producers Scotland; Screen Facilities Scotland; Film Hub Scotland; the Association of Media Education Scotland; the Association of Film & Television Practitioners Scotland; Scottish Locations Network; the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain; Scottish Documentary Institute; Scottish Animation Network; Creative Skillset; Equity; BECTU and Film Access Network Scotland were consulted in advance across the content and questions posed at the Summit.

Questions included:
How can we cooperate to ensure film education gives Scottish citizens their right to appreciate the cultural, creative and critical aspects of film?

Is it the responsibility of the Scottish exhibition sector to support the Scottish film industry?

Does Scotland have enough quality and experience in their facilities and services to compete in the national and international market place?

What is the economic impact of production to Scotland, how are figures collated, and how does this compare to the rest of the UK?

The statement reads: Yesterday at the opening of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, over 200 representatives of the Scottish film sector came together to discuss the future of film in Scotland.

The sector recognised that film is an integral part of the cultural, economic, social and educational life of Scotland: film is for everybody.

At a time of momentous change, and irrespective of the result of the referendum in September, there are huge opportunities for the sector to develop and grow, but this needs both the sector and the Scottish Government to work together in achieving this.

Specific recommendations:

The sector will develop a manifesto for the development and growth of all aspects of the Scottish film industry, based on film being for everybody.

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.

The sector will work with the Scottish Government to support our ambitions for the development and growth of all aspects of the Scottish film industry.

Ken Hay said, “The Summit provided a breakthrough forum to bring together all aspects of film from production through to exhibition and education, enabling a realisation of the collective strength within a small but thriving and passionate community. We are excited about the future prospects this new found collaborative spirit and understanding across the entire Scottish industry will bring, and that specific questions like tax breaks or the position of film in the curriculum can now be addressed with the Scottish Government within a broader context."

Summit co-host Dr Jonny Murray added, “The Scottish film community’s willingness to work together in driving significant cultural and economic change for cinema in Scotland made the Summit an inspiring and timely initiative.”

For mor info: http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/industry/scottish-film-summit