The Edinburgh International Film Festival will promote six Scottish producers at four International Festivals over the next year through new programme Features Scotland.
The programme - supported by the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and Scottish Screen - will provide producers with a range of training, market knowledge, promotional and networking opportunities that will enhance their understanding of the market and significantly advance their projects. Participants will work with EIFF and a dedicated development advisor - industry consultant Mia Bays (producer of Scott Walker 30th Century Man) - to design a development plan personal for them and their project that will cover the duration of the initiative.
The 2010 ‘Feature Scotland’ participants, who will be formally announced at the Scottish Screen and EIFF event in Cannes tomorrow, are: Wendy Griffin (Wasted, New Town), Carolynne Sinclair Kidd (Solid Air, Little Red Hoodie), Micky MacPherson (Senseless, Book Of Blood), Suzanne Reid (Alfonso, and production manager on Eagle Of The Ninth), Andy Green, Ciara Barry (Xtreme Luggaging, Dear Dad).
Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop said: “The Edinburgh International Film Festival champions creativity and provides vital opportunities for emerging talent.
"The Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund has helped Scottish filmmakers to develop their skills and ambitions. The 2010 Expo project, Features Scotland, will continue this work and will showcase Scottish filmmaking on a local, national and international stage. I wish every success to the participants of this exciting project.”
EIFF Artistic Director Hannah McGill said: 'We are immensely grateful to the Scottish Government for their continued support of EIFF and Scottish filmmakers through the Expo fund.
"This investment will enable us to aid a dynamic group of individuals in making their way confidently into the international film market, and promoting their projects worldwide. We look forward immensely to seeing the scheme bear creative fruit in the near future.'
Masterclasses, workshops and meetings with Industry professionals will be led by guests, including writing and directing talent, financiers, executive producers, sales agents, media lawyers and distributors with the aim of developing and market testing their project within a supported environment. In addition to EIFF, producers will travel to the upcoming Toronto, London and Berlin film festivals.
