Four Scottish films premiere at Toronto festival

Scottish film will step into the international spotlight with four productions set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff).

The Railway Man, starring Jeremy Irvine, Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman and Stellan Skarsgard, will premiere in Toronto. Picture: Jane Barlow

Sunshine On Leith, The Railway Man, Under The Skin and Starred Up, which was shot in Belfast under Scottish director David Mackenzie, each received £300,000 of funding from Creative Scotland and will all make their debut in Canada this week.

The Scottish Government believes that the inclusion of these films in the Tiff is an indication of need for a dedicated film and TV production studio in Scotland.

In April changes to UK tax breaks were introduced which could provide an opportunity for Scotland’s television and film industry to develop, according to the Scottish Government.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, set up a film studio delivery group to actively pursue proposals for TV and film production facilities in Scotland.

Launched

She said: “The Toronto International Film Festival is hugely respected and influential and for films premiering there it is an opportunity to be launched on an international stage and to grab the attention of some of the key players in the industry.

“I am delighted that four Scottish films will premiere there this year and hope that we can capitalise on that success, by using it as an opportunity to promote Scotland as a world-class shooting location, not just in terms of the spectacular backdrops we have to offer but also our extensive expertise and resources.

“Scotland is already competing as a shooting location on the international stage and demand from film and television companies continues to grow apace. This month Sony and Starz are starting to film the series Outlander, which is Scotland’s biggest ever film and television inward investment and for which a dedicated television production facility is being developed.

“The Scottish Government is committed to maximising the benefit of tax reliefs to Scotland and with this in mind, the film delivery group is examining how film and television production facilities, with robust business cases, can be further developed or enhanced.”

Creative Scotland’s location team are also due to attend the Tiff to meet industry leaders and discuss production opportunities, locations, facilities, funding and crews.