Irvine Welsh film ‘not Scottish enough’
● Funding refused for story of Scot who founded Creation Records
It will chart the rise of Scottish music industry mogul Alan Mcgee, has been penned by Irvine Welsh and will feature Trainspotting star Ewen Bremner in the lead role.
But the story of the Creation Records founder – who launched bands including Primal Scream and Teenage Fanclub, and discovered Oasis – was turned down for funding by Creative Scotland for not being Scottish enough.
The arts agency marked down the production, announced at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, because Welsh lives in the United States, and an English director and four English producers are attached to it.
Now the film, which Miley Cyrus is also being lined up to feature in as a music journalist, could be shot in Wales or
0 Irvine Welsh has written the film about music mogul Alan Mcgee Yorkshire if its producers find alternative funding. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star Nick Moran is directing the film, while its producers include Nathan Mcgough, former manager of indie outfit the Happy Mondays.
Two previous films adapted from Welsh novels – Filth and Trainspotting sequel Porno – were funded at £300,000 and £500,000 respectively. However, Creative Scotland has insisted an “experienced Scottish-based producer” works on the film about Mcgee.
The biopic on East Kilbrideborn Mcgee is billed as “a film about one of the most culturally important British figures in the movie business, written by the voice of a generation”.
Moran said: “The movie couldn’t be more Scottish. The script is written by Edinburgh’s most famous writer, it’s all about Scotland’s most successful record entrepreneur, who gave the world two of Scotland’s most successful rock bands and it stars Ewen Bremner.
“Creative Scotland basically said that since Irvine didn’t live in Scotland anymore he didn’t sound as Scottish. Irvine was spitting teeth when he found out. I emailed Creative Scotland back to say, ‘What if we co-produced it with the Bay City Rollers and got Nicola Sturgeon to play Alan Mcgee?’
“Irvine was saying he couldn’t be more Scottish if he was in a kilt, playing the bagpipes and had a haggis hanging out his a***.”
Mcgough added: “Irvine was absolutely fuming about it. It’s no wonder when you think about what Trainspotting has done for Edinburgh and Scotland. We’ll now be applying for funding from Wales and Yorkshire, who don’t have the same funding rules.”
A spokesman for Creative Scotland said: “This is an interesting project with potential.
“However, in line with our published guidance, the original application was assessed as not eligible as there was no confirmed finance, and sales and distribution interest.
“We advised that a subsequent application could be considered when the project is at a more advanced stage and that the involvement of an experienced, Scottish-based producer would also strengthen that application.”