An exciting new opportunity for Scotland’s future feature film makers was launched last night at the Glasgow Film Festival.

Accelerator: Feature Film Development Programme will link feature film directors, producers and writers with highly experienced film industry advisors, in a bespoke programme tailored to each individual film project.

Producers Paul Welsh and Andrea Calderwood, and script editor Kate Leys are amongst the first to contribute their extensive expertise to the programme. Further specialist expertise will be announced shortly.

Accelerator is a Creative Scotland programme, designed by industry and delegated to the Playwrights’ Studio Scotland. The programme was designed with input from leading industry specialists Kate Leys, Paul Welsh and producer Tristan Goligher.

Speaking at the launch, Tristan Goligher said:

“So much of the work we do as filmmakers is speculative and solitary. Accelerator is an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with our filmmaking peers, both emerging and established. Creative Scotland’s commitment to this structured development will support new projects through the wilderness of development and aiding the journey to production, and beyond.”

Paul Welsh added; “Accelerator has arrived at a time of massive economic and social change worldwide. As Scottish filmmakers – to survive and thrive in this context – we need to deliver on the potential of the country’s creative talent and find new ways to lift the quality and appeal of our film projects. Our voices must carry further. The flexible but intensive industry orientated approach of Accelerator will offer a critical level of support in this endeavour over the next twelve months.”

Claire Dow, Projects Manager, Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland;

“We are delighted to be managing such a fantastic opportunity for film makers. The programme’s strength is in its bespoke tailoring of development to each project. We hope to get a range of projects at different stages so that the networks built can feed into one another and really foster a community of support, and ultimately lead to more red carpet moments for Scotland’s film makers”.

Applications are now open and details are available on the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland’s website www.playwrightsstudio.co.uk/accelerator.htm with a deadline of 6 April 2012.

Source: Creative Scotland