Film and television awarded an extra £1.25m

AN additional £1.25 million will be provided to encourage film and television production in Scotland.

The funding, sourced from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery and routed through Creative Scotland, takes the total sum allocated to the Production Growth Fund to £3m since it was set up in September 2015.

The fund aims to provide an incentive for major film and telvision producers to work in Scotland, employing Scottish talent, providing skills development, supporting local economies and growing the creative and tourism industries.

Through the funding, Creative Scotland is already supporting large-scale feature films such as T2: Trainspotting, Churchill and high-end television dramas Loch Ness and In Plain Sight, which are being produced in the country.

The news comes after a record £52.7m was spent by film and television producers in Scotland in 2015 – up from £45.8m the previous year.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Incentivising major film and TV productions to come to Scotland makes strong economic sense.

“Every major project filmed here boosts our local and wider creative economy, enhances our international reputation and can attract thousands of new visitors.”

Jane Archer, chief executive at Creative Scotland, added: “One of the key aims of the Production Growth Fund is to support Scottish producers as well as attract international production into Scotland.

“In its first year, demand for the fund has been extremely high and the projects supported so far further raise the profile of Scotland.”