Film4 budget up 50%

[Nicola Sinclair]

It's been a week of good news for the film industry, with Film4 enjoying a 50% budget increase and Peter Mullan's Neds picking up two prestigious awards.

Film4 is the biggest commercial investor in British independent cinema, and has been responsible for some of the biggest hits in cinema history, from cult classic Trainspotting to surprise box office smash Slumdog Millionaire. Its latest release, Never Let Me Go, premiered at London Film Festival last night.

Thanks to a strong upturn in advertising revenues, Channel 4 announced this week that it will increase Film4's 2011 budget by 50%, to £15m. Despite its relatively modest budget, Film4 is a powerful catalyst for the industry, generally attracting up to five times its investment from other partners.

Neds, a Film4 production supported by Creative Scotland, last week picked up two awards at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. It won a Golden Shell award for best film, whilst newcomer Conor McCarron picked up a Silver Shell award for best actor.

Set in 1970s Glasgow, Neds tells the story of a young man's journey from prize-winning schoolboy to knife-carrying teenager. It is written and directed by Peter Mullan. Congratulations to all involved.

[Garry Fraser]

Give me time time mate, i'll be putting scotland on the map

[Jonathan Melville]

Good for Peter Mullan, we need more filmmakers like him showing that Scotland be a player on the global market. Another excellent Scottish film I'd recommend is Morag McKinnon's Donkeys, which is finally getting a release after sitting on the shelf for a few years.