Creative Scotland today revealed its film strategy for the next three years, including plans to press ahead with efforts to build a film studio in Scotland.
In March this year Scottish Enterprise set out plans for a studio complex to be created on Glasgow's Pacific Quay. Creative Scotland is now partnering with it on this project but there is a possibility that the studio will instead by located in Edinburgh, with a number of sites now under consideration.
Emphasising the importance of making the studio sustainable, Creative Scotland is embarking on parallel efforts to boost film production in Scotland, but say that it also hopes the country can keep on attracting international productions like The Dark Knight Rises and World War Z.
"In addition to the associated cultural and commercial benefits that films bring to Scotland, they also raise the profile of Scotland nationally and internationally. This brings additional employment, expenditure and skills development for craft and technical crew, together with business opportunities for production, distribution and exhibition companies. This increase in production in Scotland is also fundamental to the studio facility and maintaining its operation with demand at levels which will make it successful," it said.
Other key priorities identified in its strategy include improved support for writers and script development, more support for production and a renewed emphasis on the importance of film education, making it easier for young people to pursue careers in film.