Feature Film Brochure

made in Scotland
Scotland has been producing first class feature films for
many decades, and the increased production activity
in Scotland is testament to Scottish Screen’s continuing
investment in talent, businesses and production.
Scottish Screen invests approximately £6m (including
£2.7m of National Lottery funds) each year in the
development of all aspects of the screen industries across
Scotland.
We offer a number of different forms of support for
content development, production and distribution,
including feature films. Please see the back of this
brochure for further information.
We work closely with our partners in the industry,
including broadcasters, sales agents, distributors and
equity investors, to develop the screen industries in
Scotland, and actively encourage international coproduction opportunities between Scotland and the rest
of the world.
Scottish Screen Locations provides free help and advice
for anyone wishing to shoot in Scotland. The office has a
wealth of images, research materials and local contacts.
Scotland has a vast array of castles, historic sites, unspoilt
landscapes and spectacular coastline, as well as the
cutting-edge contemporary architecture of its cities.
This brochure showcases some of the recent awardwinning feature films that Scottish Screen has invested
in – from low-budget first time features like GamerZ
and Night People to the internationally acclaimed
The Last King of Scotland and Red Road. As well as
showcasing Scottish indigenous talent, it also highlights
the remarkable diversity of the Scottish landscape,
appreciated by filmmakers from all around the world.
For more information on investment opportunities
please visit www.scottishscreen.com/funding.
GAMERZ*+
HALLAM FOE*+
UK, 2006, 101 minutes
UK, 2007, 95 minutes
Production Company: Pure Magic Films
Producer: Paul Gavin
Writer/director: Robbie Fraser
Sales agent: Pure Magic Films
[email protected]
Website: www.gamerz-the-movie.com
A comedy that has gained cult status on
the festival circuit, GamerZ is an offbeat,
whimsical take on the world of fantasy roleplaying games. First year student and übergeek Ralph takes control of the University
game-playing society, but finds that fantasy
and reality are inexplicably linked when his
arch-nemesis Lenny makes a play for the
beautiful Marlyn.
Festivals: Includes Amsterdam International
Fantasy Film Festival 2007, FantasticFest
2006 Austin Texas, Melbourne International
Film Festival 2006, Fantasy Worldwide
Toronto 2006, XXVIII Mostra de Valencia
2006
Awards: Nominated for the Melies D’Argent
2006 at Sweden’s Lund International Fantasy
Film Festival and at Leeds International Film
Festival
Production Company: Sigma Films
UK distributor: Buena Vista International
Sales agent: Independent Film Sales
Producer: Gillian Berrie
Director: David Mackenzie
Writers: David Mackenzie and Ed Whitmore
based on the novel by Peter Jinks
Cast: Jamie Bell, Sophia Myles, Ciarán Hinds
Website: www.getyourpeople.com/
- a fascinating weblog into the world of
filmmaking.
An innovative and thought-provoking film,
from the director of Young Adam, about a
young man, played by Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot),
who becomes a peeping tom. His voyeuristic
tendencies are sparked by his obsession with
a beautiful woman. Set amid the rooftops
of Edinburgh, this is a gripping exploration
of identity and loss.
Festivals: Berlin Film Festival 2007 (in
competition)
Awards: Berlin 2007 - Prize of the Guild
of German Art House Cinemas for David
Mackenzie and Silver Bear for Best Film
Music
For more information on Scottish Screen Locations
please visit www.scottishscreenlocations.com.
* indicates Scottish Screen National Lottery funded
+ indicates assistance from Scottish Screen Locations
and Network
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER
OF THE PHOENIX+
UK/USA, 2007, TBC
Production companies: VPH Ltd,
Heyday Films
UK distributor: Warner Bros Pictures
Producers: David Heyman, David Barron
Director: David Yates
Writers: Michael Goldenberg based on the
novel by JK Rowling
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint,
Emma Watson
Website: www.harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com
Scotland has been used as a second unit
location for all the Harry Potter films to date.
Indeed, the sight of the Hogwarts Express
steaming over the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the
beautiful Highlands countryside is one of
the most iconic location shots in the entire
anthology. Directed by David Yates, this is
the eagerly-awaited fifth film in the series.
MISS POTTER+
UK/USA, 2006, 92 minutes
Production companies: Phoenix Pictures,
David Kirschner Productions,
The Weinstein Company
UK distributor: Momentum Pictures
Producers: David Kirschner, Mike Medavoy,
Arnold Messer, Corey Sienega,
David Thwaites
Director: Chris Noonan
Writers: Richard Maltby Jr
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor
Website: www.misspottermovie.co.uk
Miss Potter is the tale of Beatrix Potter,
whose interest in natural history was
inspired by her holidays in Perthshire, and
who went on to write some of the most
successful and best-loved children’s books
of all time. Beatrix’s personal life and her
love affair with her publisher Norman
Warne, who encouraged her writing and
drawing, form the basis of this enchanting
film. Several scenes for Miss Potter were
shot in Stirlingshire and around Loch
Lomond.
Awards: Renée Zellweger was nominated
for a Golden Globe for her role as the
eponymous heroine
MISTER LONELY+
NIGHT PEOPLE*+
NINA’S HEAVENLY DELIGHTS*+
OUTPOST+
UK/France/Ireland/USA, 2007, TBC
UK, 2005, 95 minutes
Production companies: Mead Kerr Limited
UK distributor: Mead Kerr
www.meadkerr.com
Sales agent: Jinga Films www.jingafilms.com
Producer: Clare Kerr
Director: Adrian Mead
Writers: Jack Dickson and Adrian Mead
Cast: Katrina Bryan, Alan McCafferty,
Anthony Beselle, Michael MacKenzie,
Kellyanne Farquhar
This feature film debut screened at a number
of international festivals throughout 2006,
and won the BAFTA Scotland Audience
Award in 2005. A successful Scottish release
will be followed by a wider theatrical
release at the end of 2007. Night People is
set on a cold October night in Edinburgh,
and features five interwoven stories, each
building to a dramatic climax as dawn
breaks.
Festivals: Includes Edinburgh International
Film Festival 2005, Leeds International Film
Festival 2005, Cherbourg Festival of British
and Irish films 2006, Britspotting Berlin
2006, Raindance 2006, HD Fest in Los
Angeles 2006
UK, 2006, 94 minutes
UK, 2007, TBC
Production companies: Kali Films,
Priority Pictures
UK distributor: Verve Pictures
Sales agent: Fortissimo Films
Producers: Chris Atkins, Pratibha Parmar,
Marion Pilowsky
Director: Pratibha Parmar
Writers: Andrea Gibb,
Pratibha Parmar (Story by)
Cast: Shelley Conn, Laura Fraser,
Art Malik, Ronny Jhutti
Website: www.ninasheavenlydelights.com
Production company: Black Camel Pictures
www.blackcamel.co.uk
Sales agent: ContentFilm International
www.contentfilm.com
UK distributor: TBC
Producers: Arabella Page Croft, Kieran Parker
Executive Producers: Nigel Thomas,
Jamie Carmichael, Graham Begg
Director: Steve Barker
Writer: Rae Brunton
Cast: Ray Stevenson, Julian Wadham,
Richard Brake
Nina’s Heavenly Delights is a vibrant
highly original comedy that is a sizzling
combination of family, food and love. It
tells the story of Nina and her attempt to
save her family’s restaurant, The New Taj, by
entering it in ‘The Best of the West’ curry
competition. Along the way, she falls in love
with friend and neighbour, Lisa, played by
Laura Fraser (The Flying Scotsman, 16 Years
of Alcohol). The film was shot on location in
Glasgow and provides a very contemporary
view of Indians living in Scotland, as well as
featuring Britain’s best loved food in all its
colour and glory.
Festivals: Bradford’s Bite the Mango
Festival 2006, Chicago International Film
Festival 2006, The 29th Creteil Women's Film
Festival 2007, New York’s Annual IAAC Film
Festival 2006, Palm Springs International Film
Festival (2006), Guadelajara International
Film Festival 2007, Sydney’s Mardis Gras Film
Festival 2007
Outpost, a feature film debut from Black
Camel Pictures, is a combat horror film set
in Eastern Europe. It follows a crack team of
mercenaries hired to protect a mysterious
businessman on a journey into a dangerous
warzone. At an old World War II outpost,
they make a horrific discovery that turns
their mission on its head, from one of
safeguarding to one of survival. Outpost was
shot entirely on location in Glasgow and
Dumfries & Galloway early in 2007.
Production companies: O’Salvation,
Recorded Picture Company
UK distributor: Tartan Films
Producer: Nadja Romain
Director: Harmony Korine
Writers: Harmony Korine, Avi Korine
Cast: Diego Luna, Samantha Morton
Website: www.harmonykorine.com
This eagerly awaited new film from cult
American writer/director, Harmony Korine
(Kids, Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy), was
partly shot in Scotland in the summer of
2006. Mister Lonely is an ingenious and
perceptive examination of the modern
definition of ‘celebrity’ as Korine takes us on
a journey from the jungles of Brazil to Paris
and then to Scotland, where an isolated
castle is home to a commune populated
by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Charlie
Chaplin.
Festivals: Cannes Film Festival 2007
(in Un Certain Regard)
Awards: BAFTA Scotland Audience Award
2005, runner-up for Best Film and Best
Cinematography at HD Fest in Los Angeles
RED ROAD*+
UK/Denmark, 2006, 114 minutes
Production companies: Sigma Films,
Zentropa Entertainments
UK distributor: Verve Pictures
www.vervepics.com
Producer: Carrie Comerford
Writer/director: Andrea Arnold
Characters devised by: Anders Thomas
Jensen and Lone Scherfig
Cast: Kate Dickie, Tony Curran, Natalie Press,
Martin Compston
This remarkable thriller is the first of a
trilogy developed as part of Lars von Trier’s
experimental project, The Advance Party,
which involves three filmmakers writing
scripts based on the same nine characters.
Jackie - an outstanding performance by Kate
Dickie - is a CCTV operator who monitors
the streets of Glasgow, and who one day
sees a man (Clyde, played by Tony Curran
– Miami Vice) she thought she would never
see again. The story of Jackie’s compulsion
to confront him is complex, intelligent
filmmaking that has won first-time director
Andrea Arnold many plaudits.
Festivals: Includes London International
Film Festival 2006, Toronto International
Film Festival 2006, Dinard International Film
Festival 2006, and Athens International Film
Festival 2006
Awards: Includes Cannes International Film
Festival 2006 - Prix du Jury; BAFTA Scotland
2006 - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor,
Best Actress and Best Screenplay; British
Independent Film Awards 2007 - Best
Actor, Best Actress; BAFTA 2007 - The Carl
Foreman Award for Best First-Time Director
SEACHD/THE INACCESSIBLE
PINNACLE*+
UK, 2007, 100 minutes
Production company: Young Films
www.youngfilms.co.uk
UK distributor: TBC
Sales agent: Young Films
Producer: Christopher Young
Director: Simon Miller
Co-directors: Iain Finlay MacLeod,
Calum MacKinnon, Christine MacLean
Writers: Joanne Cockwell, Iain Finlay
MacLeod, Aonghas Macneacail,
Simon Miller, Iseabail NicDhomhnail
Cast: Aonghas Padraig Caimbeul,
Padraig Morrison
Website: www.seachd.com
Set on the beautiful island of Skye, Seachd is
a contemporary feature film in Gaelic. It tells
the story of an aged and mystical storyteller
who helps his three grandchildren face the
tragic loss of their parents. His stories take
the children on a magical and epic journey
through the history of the Gaelic people.
Festivals: Opening film at Celtic Media
Festival 2007
SENSELESS+
STARDUST+
UK, 2007, TBC
Production companies: Plum Films,
Matador Pictures, Circle of Confusion,
Shoreline Entertainment, Regent Capital
Sales agent: Shoreline Entertainment
www.slefilms.com
Producers: Micky MacPherson, Nigel Thomas
Writer/director: Simon Hynd based on the
novel by Stona Fitch
Cast: Jason Behr, Emma Catherwood,
Joe Ferrara
Website: www.plumfilms.co.uk
'Eliott Gast is to be made an example of, his
captivity broadcast online... along with his
punishment.'
UK/USA, 2007, TBC
An intimate and terrifying account of an
American businessman's plight at the hands
of terrorists who will go to unimaginable
lengths to attain viewing figures through
psychological warfare and a series of
premeditated tortures designed to make
their voices heard. Senseless is the shocking
feature film debut from one of Scotland's
brightest young writer/directors, Simon Hynd
and producer Micky MacPherson.
Production companies: Di Bonaventura
Pictures, Marv Films, Truenorth Productions
UK distributor: Paramount Pictures
Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael
Dreyer, Neil Gaiman, Matthew Vaughan
Director: Matthew Vaughan
Writers: Jane Goldman and Matthew
Vaughan based on the novel by Neil Gaiman
Cast: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes,
Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller,
Michelle Pfeifer, Jason Flemyng
Website: www.stardustmovie.com
Stardust is a fantasy adventure based on the
best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman, who also
wrote The Sandman. A young man named
Tristan tries to win the heart of village beauty
Victoria, played by Sienna Miller (Factory
Girl) by promising to bring her a falling star. His journey takes him beyond the walls of
his village to a mysterious and forbidden
land. Stardust was shot on location on the
beautiful and visually arresting landscapes of
the Isle of Skye.
THE ANARCHIST’S STORY*+
THE FLYING SCOTSMAN*+
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND*+
THE QUEEN+
UK, 2006, 75minutes UK/Germany, 2006, 96 minutes
UK, 2006, 121 minutes
UK/France/Italy, 2006, 97 minutes
Production companies: Pelicula Films Ltd
UK distributor: Pelicula Films Ltd
Sales agent: Pelicula Films Ltd
Producer/s: Mark Littlewood, Alison Murphy
Director: Mark Littlewood
Writer/s: Chris Dolan
Cast: Marianne McIvor,
David Hayman (narrator)
Website: spanishcivilwarfilm.com
Production companies: Flying Scotsman
Films, Doosra Production, Zero West Films
UK distributor: MGM
Sales agent: ContentFilm International
Producers: Sara Giles, Peter Gallagher,
Peter Broughan
Director: Douglas Mackinnon
Writers: John Brown, Simon Rose,
Declan Hughes
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Billy Boyd,
Brian Cox, Laura Fraser
Production companies: Cowboy Films, Slate
Films with TatFilm for DNA, Fox Searchlight
UK distributor: Fox Searchlight
Producers: Andrea Calderwood,
Lisa Bryer, Charles Steel
Co-producer: Ros Borland - Slate North Ltd,
Christine Ruppert - TATFilm Munich
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writers: Peter Morgan, Jeremy Brock from
the novel by Giles Foden
Cast: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy
Website: www.foxsearchlight.com/
lastkingofscotland
Production companies: Pathé Productions,
Granada, Pathé Renn Production, BIM
Distribuzione, France 3 Cinema and Canal+
UK distributor: Pathé Distribution
Producers: Andy Harries,
Christine Langan, Tracey Seaward
Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Peter Morgan
Cast: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen,
James Cromwell
This 75 minute feature documentary/drama,
made on HD, to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of the Spanish Civil War tells
the story of Ethel MacDonald, a remarkable
young Scots woman who struggled to
free many of her imprisoned comrades. A
forgotten legend – her story ranks alongside
that of ‘La Pasionaria’ and Anne Frank. The
Anarchist’s Story was shot on location in
Scotland and Barcelona.
An inspiring bio-pic of the amateur Scottish
cyclist Graeme Obree, played by Jonny Lee
Miller (Trainspotting), who broke the world
record not once but twice, for the longest
distance cycled in one hour. He did it on
a home-made bicycle of his own design.
Obree’s personal struggles with depression,
and his battles with the cycling authorities
form a fascinating study of a man who
triumphed against all odds.
Festivals: Opening film at the Edinburgh
International Film Festival 2006
Awards: Nominated for 5 Scottish BAFTAs
2006, including Best Director and Best Film
This Oscar-winning film, starring Forest
Whitaker (Phone Booth, Panic Room) is a
brilliantly-made and compelling account of
Idi Amin’s brutal dictatorship in Uganda,
as seen through the eyes of his Scottish
personal physician, Nicholas Garrigan, played
by James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia,
Atonement). Based on the novel by Giles
Foden, this is the first feature film by Kevin
Macdonald, who made the award-winning
documentaries One Day in September and
Touching the Void.
Festivals: Toronto Film Festival 2006,
opening film at London Film Festival 2006,
Dubai International Film Festival 2006, and
Miami International Film Festival 2007
Awards: Academy Awards 2007 - Best Actor,
Forest Whitaker; Golden Globe Awards
2007 – Best Actor, Forest Whitaker; BAFTAs
2007 - Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Forest
Whitaker, and the Alexander Korda Award
for Best British Film; BIFAs 2007 – Best
Director and Best Technical Achievement in
Cinematography
This multi-award winning film starring Oscar
winner Helen Mirren, depicts the period
following Princess Diana’s death, when there
was a huge outpouring of public emotion
and demand for a public mourning. This
superbly scripted film by Peter Morgan,
shows how HM Queen Elizabeth II struggles
to understand and come to terms with
the public’s reaction to what she views as
a personal tragedy. Though much of The
Queen is set at Balmoral, it was filmed on
location at a number of castles and estates
around Scotland, including Blairquhan
Castle, Cluny Castle, The Glenfeshie Estate
and Culzean Castle.
Festivals: Screened at a variety of
international festivals including Venice Film
Festival 2006
Awards: Includes: Best Film at the BAFTAs
2007, Best Screenplay at the British
Independent Film Awards 2006 and Golden
Globe Awards 2007. Helen Mirren was wellrecognised with an Academy Award 2007,
a Golden Globe 2007 and a BAFTA 2007.
THE WATERHORSE:
THE LEGEND OF THE DEEP+
USA, 2007, TBC
Production companies: Beacon Pictures,
Ecosse Films, Revolution Studios,
Blue Star Pictures, Walden Media
UK distributor: Columbia TriStar Film
Distributors International
Producers: Robert Bernstein, Charlie Lyons,
Barrie M Osborne, Douglas Rae
Director: Jay Russell
Writers: Terry George, Robert Nelson Jacobs
based on a novel by Dick King-Smith
Cast: Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin,
David Morrissey
The Waterhorse: The Legend Of The Deep is
a fantasy adventure based on the novel by
Dick King-Smith. It tells the story of a lonely
young Scottish boy who discovers a mysterious
egg on the shore of a loch and takes it home.
The egg hatches and a strange creature
- the mythical water horse, the sea monster
of Scottish legend - emerges. With special
effects by Weta Digital and Weta Workshop,
who previously worked on King Kong and Lord
of the Rings, the film’s stunning exteriors and
location shooting were filmed in the beautiful
landscapes around Loch Fyne in Argyll & Bute.
UK release: 1 Feb 2008 (TBC)
TRUE NORTH*+
UK/Germany/Ireland, 2006, 96 minutes
SHow me the money: Film
Funding in Scotland
Production companies: Ariel Films GmbH
(formerly Rosebud Films GmbH),
Samson Films Limited,
Makar Productions Limited
Sales agent: Bankside Films
Producers: Eddie Dick, David Collins,
Sonja Ewers, Benjaminia Mirnik
Writer/director: Steve Hudson
Cast: Peter Mullan, Martin Compston,
Gary Lewis, Stephen Robertson, Angel Li
Website: www.truenorth-film.com
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom
so UK tax laws apply. Qualifying as
a British film carries many benefits,
including access to funding and tax relief.
The UK Film Council is the main source
of information on the benefits available
and how to qualify as a British film. The
UK Film Council is also a major source of
funding with many different investment
strands open for application. Please visit:
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/filmmaking.
A hard-hitting and uncompromising tale of
desperation, greed and sacrifice that won
plaudits when it screened at the Toronto
International Film Festival 2006. True North
illustrates the struggles of the UK fishing
industry to survive. Poverty-stricken and
driven to extreme measures to keep the family
business going, a young fisherman decides
to use his father’s boat to smuggle Chinese
immigrants into the UK. True North stars three
of Scotland's finest actors: Peter Mullan (The
Magdelene Sisters, My Name is Joe), Martin
Compston (A Guide to Recognizing Your
Saints, Sweet Sixteen), and Gary Lewis (Billy
Elliot).
Further Scottish incentives are available
from a number of different sources.
Festivals: Toronto International Film Festival
2006, Glasgow Film Festival 2007
Awards: Four nominations for BAFTA Scotland
Awards 2006, won Best Film by both main and
student juries and Best Actress for Angel Li at
the Cherbourg Film Festival, won Best Feature
Length Drama at Celtic Media Festival 2007
Scottish Screen funding:
Scottish Screen provides investment
opportunities for filmmaking in Scotland.
Please see our website for full and up-todate investment opportunities available
www.scottishscreen.com/funding.
Other sources of funding:
MEDIA Antenna Scotland is the office
for Scotland of the European Union’s
MEDIA Programme, based at Scottish
Screen. MEDIA 2007 encourages and
supports the European film, television
and new media industries with funding
for professional training, project
development, distribution, exhibition,
and promotional activities at markets
and festivals. Please visit the UK MEDIA
Team’s website at www.mediadesk.co.uk
or email MEDIA Antenna Scotland at
[email protected].
Production funding is also available from
the Glasgow Production Fund – please visit
www.glasgowfilm.com for more details,
or email [email protected].
Scottish Screen Locations, plus a number
of the regional film offices in Scotland, can
provide funds for recces in Scotland: please
email [email protected]
for more information.
Other Useful information
www.filmbang.co.uk - Scotland’s production guide for crew and facilities
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk - a wealth of information about filming in the UK
www.edfilmfest.org.uk - the longest running film festival in the world
www.celticfilm.co.uk - an annual international festival to promote Celtic culture and language
www.baftascotland.co.uk - now an annual awards ceremony
www.mediadesk.co.uk - the European Union’s MEDIA Programme in Scotland
www.pact.co.uk - the UK producers trade association
www.skillset.org - the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries
www.scottishscreenlocations.com - for location images, useful links
weather information and much more
www.undiscoveredscotland.com - a great source of geographical information
about Scotland
www.scotlandthemovie.com - the guide to the Scottish locations
of all major film and TV productions