AN award-winning Scottish filmmaker has criticised Screen Scotland’s “ignorance and discrimination” against grassroots projects in an open letter to the Culture Secretary.
Ryan Hendrick, known for films Lost At Christmas and Mercy Falls, wrote about his concerns about the film industry in Scotland being geared towards attracting Hollywood projects.
In a letter to Angus Robertson, published exclusively in The National, Hendrick said the reluctance to support homegrown projects with commercial value is “baffling”.
He has taken aim at Screen Scotland, a national body set up to support Scotland’s film and TV industry, as being “indifferent” to the problem.
Criticising the body’s six-year plan, Hendrick wrote: “It is clear the main goal is to attract Hollywood productions.
“History has shown us time and time again that Hollywood coming to Scotland is no more than a band-aid.
“You only have to look at the continuing wave of unemployment in the Scottish film and television industry following the last Hollywood boom that came in the form of the doomed Batgirl project.”
The 67-page strategic plan, published in March last year, stated that: "Economic growth remains a strategic priority, delivering many of the opportunities talented people need to realise their potential here in Scotland."
Hendrick added that the priority should be to support workers in the industry and that Screen Scotland should insist a minimum of 50% of the crew working on any productions are based in Scotland.
“Screen Scotland's indifference to all of the above makes it clear it is part of the problem rather than part of the solution,” he wrote.
“I have been flying this flag for almost 20 years, nothing has improved, if anything the situation has gotten worse.
“Local indie filmmakers are continually cast aside and looked down upon. Producers with multiple commercial successes being turned away and labelled ‘inexperienced’ is a clear and present display of Screen Scotland's ignorance and discrimination toward domestic grassroots filmmakers.”
Hendrick (below) then accused those who receive funding from Screen Scotland as being “happily complicit” in pretending that everything in the industry is “fine and dandy”.
“After all, protecting their slice of a tiny pie is far more important than actual success. Gotta keep churning out those loss-making films to justify the overheads of their plush vanity offices,” he wrote.
“Scotland’s screen sector has experienced exceptional growth in recent years,” a spokesperson said.
“An estimated £617 million was spent on the production of film, TV and other audio-visual content in Scotland in 2021, up 55% compared to 2019, supporting nearly 11,000 full time equivalent jobs.
“We want to develop our creative economy further, creating job opportunities for all those that work in the sector in Scotland.
“That is why we have allocated an additional £2 million for Screen Scotland in this year’s Budget. However, the decisions on funding of individual projects are rightly a matter for Screen Scotland and Scottish Ministers have no role in deciding how funds are disbursed, to protect the integrity of our creative industries.”
