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Scotland, we are ready for take-off
 In
an interesting day for the Scottish film production industry, two
new schemes were launched to provide an explosive boost to the talented
filmmakers based in Scotland. 8 1/2, launched by Glasgow based Antonine
Films, aims to develop short 8 1/2 minute films without a particular
"agenda".
As Peter Mullan (pictured right), the patron of the scheme said:
"This scheme is non-prescriptive. Any films you have in your head,
any ideas, if you reckon it can be done in eight-and-a-half minutes,
then - if it's an idea we can relate to - we'll take you through
the whole process and get it made".
 The
launch party, held at the fashionable Favorit eatery, also gained
support from filmmaker Mike Figgis and actress Saffron Burrows -
in town with Mullan to promote Miss Julie. John
Archer, Chief Executive of Scottish Screen (one of 8 1/2's backers)
was there as well and said he saw the scheme as being complimentary
to the existing short film programmes run by the Scottish film body.
A little earlier, Rhona Brankin, the deputy Culture Minister, revealed
a new arts strategy which includes - wait for it - a proposal to
build a film studio along the lines of Pinewood in Scotland. At
this early stage only a feasibility study has been suggested, so
we may have to wait some time for anything material to come out
of this announcement. How this relates to Film Festival Patron Sean
Connery's plans to build a studio near Edinburgh is not yet clear.
There's Only One... Robert Carlyle
 Festival
favourite, Robert Carlyle wowed the crowds which had come to see
the World Premiere of fantasy football tale, There's
Only One Jimmy Grimble. But despite the appearances of actress
Gina McKee and director John Gray, it was left to young Lewis McKenzie,
who plays Jimmy Grimble in the film, to steal the show from Carlyle
and proving to be a real star in the making. Jimmy Grimble... a
hot contender for the festival awards?
Edinburgh Pub Tales
In an interview with insideout.co.uk's Nic O, director Baltasar
Kormakur braved the Edinburgh rain to reveal the secret of how he
got Blur's Damon Albarn on board for 101 Reykjavik:
they own a bar together!
 Kormakur
and his producer decided that they had been spending so much time
in the bar in Reykjavik that it would be cheaper to buy it. Later,
on one of his frequent Icelandic jaunts, Albarn fell in love with
the drinking hole and now owns a small share in it himself.
In a return to the Internet theme, Kormakur also revealed that he
knew he had a homegrown hit on his hands when 50,000 people downloaded
the trailer he posted on the web - out of a population of just 230,000
in Iceland. Proof positive that you don't need to be big to be popular.
Hopefully both Kormakur and Albarn will be satisified with Edinburgh's
range of drinking establishments whilst away from their own.
Trinity |
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