Churchill Photo: Salon Pictures/Getty Images |
Figures released today show that Scotland's Production Growth Fund has been a success in economic as well as creative terms. Speaking at a gathering to mark the opening of this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced that it has generated £10 for every £1 spent, generating a total of £17.5m in the two years since its inception.
"The fund has underpinned strong demand for our crew and our services, cemented trust in the excellence of our work and strengthened Scotland’s reputation as a base for big budget productions. It is attracting major productions to showcase Scotland and our breathtaking locations to audiences around the world, with clear knock on benefits for our tourism sector," said Ms Hyslop, who went on to announce that a further £250k is to be added to the fund, taking it to £3.25m.
Films that have benefited from the fund so far include T2: Trainspotting, Churchill and The Etruscan Smile.
"With the support of Creative Scotland and the Production Growth Fund, we had an extremely positive experience filming Churchill in Scotland, and it really felt like the natural place to bring our next film, The Wife," said producer Piers Tempest.