Q and A: Carole Sheridan

Published on Monday 10 November 2008 22:15

THE head of talent and creativity at Scottish Screen discusses the state of the Scottish film industry, following concerns voiced by Robert Carlyle and Brian Cox at the Bafta Scotland awards.

Has film-making in Scotland ground to a halt with private investment vanishing?

That's a problem that has affected the industry nationwide and worldwide. There is a feeling that films at a very high level will still get made, but there will be a greater gulf between them and those on a low budget. It may be more difficult for first-time film-makers to get features off the ground.

Do we need a quota system to ensure British films get shown in British cinemas?

I'm not sure I would go all the way to support a quota system. Digital screening facilities make it more likely that the public can see a wider range of films.

Can Scottish films compete with Hollywood blockbusters?

I'm not sure we should be trying to compete. We should be creating a particular brand of films which are Scottish and encourage the public and industry to get behind those.

What else can be done to revive Scottish film-making?

Sustained investment is key. That can be investment in films which are coming into Scotland and also those made by Scottish-based companies and Scottish-based talent.

Why should cinemas be funded by the state?

It comes down to trying to get a diverse range of films out to as wide an audience as possible. The regional film theatres are able to screen films that wouldn't stay in the multiplex in a commercial environment.

Screenwriter Peter McDougall complains good ideas don't get backed by Scottish Screen because they must have producers attached. Is that fair?

We deal with producers because it would be very difficult to administer a system which deals with individual writers. To some degree, producers are acting as a filter through which ideas are presented to us.