| Cinema of Scotland | |
|---|---|
 Opened in 1913, theCampbeltown Picture House is Scotland's oldest purpose-built cinema[1] | |
| No. ofscreens | 1,140 (2025)[2] |
| Main distributors | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures StudioCanal Universal Pictures Pathé 20th Century Studios Entertainment One BBC Scotland Screen Scotland |
| Produced feature films (2021)[3] | |
| Total | £617.4 million |
| Animated | £27.1 million |
| Documentary | £7.6 million |
| Number of admissions (2019)[3] | |
| Total | 14 million |
| National films | £99.8 million |
| Gross box office (2021)[3] | |
| Total | £45.7 million |
The film and cinema industry in Scotland is largely supported byScreen Scotland, theexecutive non-departmental public body of theScottish Government which provides financial support, direction and development opportunities for film production in the country.[4] The Screen Commission of Screen Scotland provides support for incoming productions to Scotland, ranging from scripted, unscripted, live-action and animation productions.[5] The country is able to offer tax reliefs for film and high-end TV productions which are devolved in Scotland.[6]
Productions for film and screen in Scotland generated over £52 million to theeconomy of Scotland in 2016.[7] In 2019, an estimated £398 million was spent on the production of film, television and other audio content in Scotland.[8] The top grossing Scottish films at the UK box office includeTrainspotting (£12 million),The Last King of Scotland (£5.6 million),Shallow Grave (£5.1 million) andSunshine on Leith (£4.6 million).[9][10]
The country has produced a number of world–renowned actors who have achieved critical acclaim and commercial success for their roles in film.Sean Connery was the first actor toportray James Bond in film, appearing inseven Bond films between 1962 and 1983.[11] Other notable Scottish actors of film and screen includeTilda Swinton,Ncuti Gatwa,Alan Cumming,Ewan McGregor,Karen Gillan,Robert Carlyle,David Tennant,Gerard Butler,James McAvoy andKelly Macdonald.[12]
The first movie to be screen in Scotland occurred at the Empire Palace Theatre in 1896. The initial screening failed to enthuse the audience which attended, however, was credited with beginning an affectionate relationship with screen, particularly during the 1930s which resulted in a major investment in cinema infrastructure to meet increased demand for the public going to cinema screenings. The number of Scottish towns and other settlements which had their own cinema had increased considerably by the time ofWorld War I, including small communities such asFort William andDumfries. In contrast,Edinburgh, the country's capital city, had a combined total of forty-three cinemas across the city.[13] The first phase of purpose built cinemas to be constructed in the country began in 1910, and by 1920, there were a total of 557 cinema screens across Scotland.[14]
The first films to be made in Scotland occurred in the 1930s whenGlasgow hosted theEmpire Exhibition in 1938. The inaugural Films of Scotland committee was established afterwards in order to promote Scotland both nationally and internationally, depicting all aspects of Scottish life. A total of twelve million people viewed the first Films of Scotland at the Empire Exhibition, with screenings includingWealth of a Nation (1938), which showcased Scottish town planning and industry. The films were screened to the public at the Empire cinema building inBellahouston Park.[15]
The Scottish Film Council was established in 1934 as the national body for film in Scotland. Its founding aim was to 'improve and extend the use in Scotland of films for cultural and educational purposes and to raise the Scottish standard in the public appreciation of films'. A strong focus on film in the service of education, industry and the betterment of society shaped the SFC for a considerable part of its history and it was this that led to the establishment of the Scottish Central Film Library (SCFL), one of the largest and most successful 16mm film libraries in Europe. The council's strengths in educational film led in the 1970s to its incorporation as a division of the newly createdScottish Council for Educational Technology (SCET).[16]
From the late 1960s, the SFC's central strategy was to take and sustain major initiatives in each of four main areas where the health of a national film culture could most readily be measured: education, exhibition, production and archiving.[17] It made use of theBritish Film Institute's 'Outside London' initiative to set up Regional Film Theatres (RFT) across Scotland. Established in collaboration with local authorities, these were to become more important in the Scottish context than elsewhere in the UK. A commitment to engage with film producers led to the SFC's involvement in film training, through the setting up of the Technician Training Scheme and later the Scottish Film Training Trust, both of which were joint ventures with theAssociation of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians and producers.[16]
In the late 1970s, the SFC used Job Creation Scheme funding to establish the Scottish Film Archive. Though initially conceived as a short-term exercise, its value was soon recognised and on the exhaustion of the original funding aScottish Education Department (SED) grant was forthcoming to secure the Archive as a permanent part of the SFC's work.[16] During the 1980s, SED funding allowed the SFC to support courses, events, the production of material for media education, Regional Film Theatre operations inGlasgow,Edinburgh,Dundee,Inverness and Kirkcaldy, film societies, community cinemas, theEdinburgh International Film Festival, theCeltic Film and Television Festival, the Scottish Film Archive, film workshops, general information services and a range of other initiatives.[17]
The success of theRepublic of Ireland in luring the filming ofBraveheart (1995) from Scotland to Ireland by offering tax concessions and the use ofIrish Army reserves as extras prompted theSecretary of State for ScotlandMichael Forsyth to commission a report,Scotland on Screen, on the future of the film and television industries in Scotland.[18] This led, in April 1997, to the Scottish Film Council, Scottish Screen Locations, Scottish Broadcast and Film Training and the Scottish Film Production Fund being merged to form the non-departmental government body Scottish Screen.[19] In an address to American tourism executives inNew York, Forsyth stated that the measures he had put in place were designed to make Scotland a more attractive location for foreign filmmakers, to develop and indigenous film industry, and to ensure that the allocation of resources supported a shift from a cultural to a commercial emphasis.[18]
At the same time, the Scottish Film Archive was renamed the Scottish Screen Archive. In 2007, Scottish Screen merged with theScottish Arts Council to formCreative Scotland and the Scottish Screen Archive transferred to theNational Library of Scotland.[20] The merge was finalised in 2010, with the new body, Creative Scotland, becoming operational and subsuming the responsibilities of both the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen on 1 July 2010.[21] In September 2015, the name of the Scottish Screen Archive changed to the National Library of ScotlandMoving Image Archive.
The film production sector has grown considerably in Scotland in recent times, with major investment in infrastructure to support the increase in film production in the country.[22] As such, it boasts several large and smaller scale production and film studios capable of accommodating major feature film productions, including The Pyramids (Bathgate), The Factory (Campbeltown), Wardpark Film and Television Studios (Cumbernauld), FirstStage Studios (Edinburgh) and Kelvin Hall (Glasgow). The Pyramids was the filming and production location for films such asT2 Trainspotting (2017),Outlaw King (2018) andEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020).[23] In March 2025, it was announced that American animation company, Halon Entertainment, is to spend £28 million to develop a new studio in Glasgow.[24]
Distribution of film is considerably distinct from film production, however, some production companies may also operate distribution services. Production companies including Friel Kean Films, Hopscotch Films, Raise the Roof Productions and Synchronicity Films are some of the most significant distribution and rights exploitation operation companies of Scotland in 2019. The distribution sector in Scotland had an estimated turnover of £8 million in 2022; and contributed £5 million inGVA to the Scottish economy that year.[25]
A considerable number of film directors, animators and screenwriters have originated from Scotland, some of whom have won multiple awards or enjoy a cult reputation. DirectorBill Forsyth is noted for his commitment to national filmmaking, with his best-known work includingGregory's Girl (1980) andLocal Hero (1984). The former won an award for Best Screenplay at the BAFTA Awards.[26]Lynne Ramsay, after achieving success with her Scotland-based filmsRatcatcher (1999) andMorvern Callar (2002), received attention and acclaim abroad withWe Need to Talk About Kevin (2011),You Were Never Really Here (2017) andDie, My Love (2025) all being shortlisted for thePalme d'Or.
Norman McLaren is considered to be a pioneer in numerous areas of animation and filmmaking, includinghand-drawn animation,drawn-on-film animation,visual music,abstract film,pixilation andgraphical sound.[27][28]John Grierson is often considered "the father of British and Canadiandocumentary film. He coined the term"documentary" in 1926 during a review ofRobert J. Flaherty'sMoana.[29] In 1939, Grierson established the all-time Canadian film institutional production and distribution companyThe National Film Board of Canada controlled bythe Government of Canada.William Kennedy Dickson, whose father was Scottish, devised an earlymotion picture camera under the employment ofThomas Edison.[30][31]
Whilst largely known as actors,Peter Capaldi andPeter Mullan have ventured into directing, with Capaldi directingFranz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (1993) andStrictly Sinatra (2001). He won theAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and theBAFTA Award for Best Short Film for the former.[32][33] Mullan won Best Director at the2011 BAFTA Scotland Awards for the acclaimed 2010 drama filmNeds, the film itself won theGolden Shell in the same year.Tom Vaughan achieved considerable success for his directing ofWhat Happens in Vegas (2008) andExtraordinary Measures (2010).Jamie Doran's 2016 film,ISIS in Afghanistan, won twoEmmy awards in the outstanding continuing coverage of a news story in a news magazine, and the best report in a news magazine categories,[34] as well as aPeabody award.[35]
Frank Lloyd was among the founders of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,[36] and was its president from 1934 to 1935. He is Scotland's first Academy Award winner and is unique in film history, having received three Oscar nominations in 1929 for his work on asilent film (The Divine Lady), apart-talkie (Weary River) and a fulltalkie (Drag). He won forThe Divine Lady. He was nominated and won again in 1933 for his adaptation ofNoël Coward'sCavalcade and received a further Best Director nomination in 1935 for perhaps his most successful film,Mutiny on the Bounty.
Other notable film directors from the country includeMichael Caton-Jones (Rob Roy andBasic Instinct 2),Paul McGuigan (The Acid House,Lucky Number Slevin andVictor Frankenstein), andAlastair Reid, who was described byThe Guardian at the time of his death as "one of Britain's finest directors of television drama."[37]
A considerable number of actors from Scotland have achieved international success. Considered an icon of the country,Sean Connery was the first actor to portray British secret agentJames Bond in film, appearing in sixEon Productions films fromDr. No (1962) untilDiamonds Are Forever (1971), although he would later reprise the role for a final time in the non-Eon filmNever Say Never Again (1979). For his role as Jimmy Malone inThe Untouchables (1987), Connery won theGolden Globe andAcademy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Scot to win an acting Oscar. He also received theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance inThe Name of the Rose (1986). Other notable film appearances includeMurder on the Orient Express (1974),Time Bandits (1981),Highlander (1986),Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989),The Hunt for Red October (1990),The Rock (1996), andFinding Forrester (2000).
Alongside Connery, actors such asEwan McGregor,Robbie Coltrane,David Tennant andJames McAvoy have found success in mainstream,independent andart house films. McGregor achieved international recognition for his performances as heroin addictMark Renton inTrainspotting (1996) and as a youngObi-Wan Kenobi in theStar Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005). Coltrane and Tennant have also gained international recognition; Coltrane for his role asRubeus Hagrid in theHarry Potter film series (2001–2011) and Tennant for the10th and14th incarnations ofthe title character inDoctor Who. McAvoy is best known for his roles asProfessor Charles Xavier in theX-Men film series (2011–2019) and asKevin Wendell Crumb inM. Night Shyamalan'sSplit (2016) and its sequelGlass (2019).
Although not born in Scotland,Tilda Swinton considers herself to be Scottish "first and foremost" citing her childhood and her links toClan Swinton in theScottish Borders.[38] She has become a reliablecharacter actor in Hollywood and independent cinema and has worked with several prominentauteurs, most oftenWes Anderson.The New York Times named her amongst the 21st century's best actors in 2020.[39]
Other notable actors from Scotland includeRobert Carlyle,Alan Cumming,Ncuti Gatwa,Karen Gillan,Deborah Kerr,Rose Leslie,Kelly Macdonald.[12]
In Scotland, film and television production is celebrated at the annualBAFTA Scotland award ceremonies. It was estimated in 1988 and holds two annual awards ceremonies recognising the achievement by performers and production staff in Scottishfilm,television andvideo games. The BAFTA Scotland Awards are separate from theBritish Academy Television Awards andBritish Academy Film Awards.[40] Other associated film awards recognised in the country include theBAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards.
Currently, two major film festivals occur in Scotland on an annual basis – theEdinburgh International Film Festival andGlasgow Film Festival. The Edinburgh International Film Festival was established in 1947 and is the world's oldest continually runningfilm festival.[41][42][43] The Glasgow Film Festival was established in 2005, and in 2024, the festival held a 20th anniversary edition with submissions exceeding 400.[44] The line-up featured 11 world and international premieres, includingİlker Çatak’sThe Teachers’ Lounge,Agnieszka Holland’sGreen Border, Giacomo Abbruzzese'sDisco Boy andRose Glass'sLove Lies Bleeding, the latter of which opened the festival.[45] Prior to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, over thirty film festivals operated on an annual basis in Scotland. By 2022, Scottish based film festivals contributed £7.4 million in GVA to the Scottish economy, with a core audience attendance figure of 177,624 people.[46] Other notable film festivals in Scotland include theInternational Film Festival of St Andrews,Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival, theCeltic Media Festival, theScreenplay Film Festival, the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival and theBallerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams. Animation film production in the country is celebrated during theScotland Loves Animation festival.[47]
Scotland's success as a film industry is apparent through its popular national films.Bill Forsyth is a prominent director in Scottish cinema - his filmsGregory's Girl (1980) andLocal Hero (1983) have won acclaim both domestically and worldwide; both are regarded as cult classics and were ranked by theBritish Film Institute in their 1999Top 100 British Films list.
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In addition to the works of Scottish directors, there have been many successful films set in Scotland but not directed by Scots and/or shot elsewhere;Braveheart being perhaps the best-known and most commercially successful example. The film was a major success, grossing $350,000,000 worldwide and winning five Academy Awards; including theAcademy Award for Best Picture andBest Director forMel Gibson. The film's depiction of theBattle of Stirling Bridge, a focal point of the film's story, is often regarded as one of the greatest battles in cinema history.[48]
Much of the filming for theHarry Potter film franchise occurred in Scotland, given that the fictional school ofHogwarts is diegetically set in the country.[49] Additionally, manyJames Bond films have been filmed at locations around Scotland, such asSkyfall (2012), which was partly filmed atGlen Coe.[50] Other James Bond movies to be filmed in Scotland includeThe Spy Who Loved Me (1977),The World Is Not Enough (1999) andNo Time to Die (2021).[51]
In 2012,Disney andPixar released the movieBrave, set in medieval Scotland. It was the first Pixar film to be set in Scotland, with animators from the company being said to be "deeply affected by the real country's raw beauty and rich heritage".[52] In 2013, it was estimated that the release ofBrave would generate £120 million towards theScottish economy in the next five years.[53]
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