EIGHT years after the closure of Scottish Screen, a new film and TV funding body has been created: Screen Scotland.
The new body, which is to be part of Creative Scotland, will have a £3m fund to boost television production as part of its package of powers, it will be announced today.
The new Screen Scotland is a "clear and distinct brand", the chairman of Creative Scotland has said.
The body, which will have its own board within the remit of Creative Scotland, will also have its own executive director, Isabel Davis.
It will also have a new "brand identity" and its own website.
MSPs from the Scottish Parliament's culture committee, and screen industry figures, have in recent times called for a completely separate screen agency, like Scottish Screen - but that now appears unlikely in the near future.
Scottish Screen was merged with the Scottish Arts Council to form Creative Scotland in 2010.
Screen Scotland has been funded by £20m of funds from the Scottish Government.
The new £3m Broadcast Content Fund "will support the development and production of distinctive high-quality projects for television broadcast, digital broadcast and streaming platforms", the body said.
It is open to Scottish-based production companies and will make grants of up to £500,000.
The latest figures showing that spending on film and TV production in Scotland in 2017 reached £95m, a £26m increase on the previous year.
Film and TV productions shot in Scotland last year include Avengers: Infinity War, Outlaw King, Outlander, Patrick Melrose, Mary Queen Of Scots, The Cry, The Victim, and Anna And The Apocalypse, among others.
Robert Wilson, the chair of Creative Scotland said: "Building on the sector’s achievements to date, these latest announcements deliver further on the promise to increase funding, build stronger relationships at home, in the wider UK and internationally, increase capacity within Screen Scotland, working in close collaboration with the sector to ensure its success.
"I firmly believe that Screen Scotland’s identity offers a clear and distinct brand that will resonate with the sector and our national and international partners."
He added: "With Isabel Davis joining us to lead Screen Scotland in a matter of weeks, David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King opening Toronto International Film Festival, the extraordinary feature documentary Aquarela receiving its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month, as well as record levels of production spend in Scotland, these are truly exciting times for Scotland’s screen sector."
Fiona Hyslop, culture secretary, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Screen Scotland, a vital component in our wider vision for Scotland’s screen sector.
"It aims to attract, retain and develop talent and businesses in Scotland.
"There is new and enhanced funding and support that puts Scotland on a par with other nations. The new Broadcast Content Fund will invest £3m in our TV sector to provide it with the targeted financial backing it needs to develop."
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