'Bonanza' as Edinburgh films lead Bafta Scotland awards

Edinburgh is celebrating a "bonanza year" for films as Sunshine on Leith and Filth lead the Bafta Scotland awards nominations, external.

Rosie Ellison from Film Edinburgh, external said the city's "film-friendly" policy was paying dividends, with the two movies picking up eight awards nominations.

Ms Ellison also welcomed reports of ambitious new plans for a film studio in the Edinburgh area.

She said: "It could only be a positive for the east of Scotland."

A planning application has been submitted for a £40m Pentland Studios project in the Straiton area, which would offer studio space and production facilities that could attract major film-makers.

Creative Scotland has ringfenced £1m towards the cost of a Scottish studio, while the Scottish government has pledged a further £2m loan.

It has been reported that the Pentland studio plans have been extended to provide space for constructing huge sets.

Ms Ellison said: "I am excited by the opportunity of the studios.

"The Pentland plans keep getting bigger. It would bring a lot of production to the area and could only be a positive for the east of Scotland, meaning large-scale productions would have easier access to locations in the Borders and East Lothian as well as Edinburgh."

She said recent films successes such as Sunshine on Leith and Filth showed that the city's policy of getting decisions on filming made quickly was working.

Other films such as the Railway Man and Under the Skin have also recently used the east of Scotland as a location.

Ms Ellison said other recent film success such as One Day had proved a great tourist draw for Edinburgh.

The nominations for the Bafta Scotland awards, to be presented on Sunday 16 November, give the nod to Sunshine on Leith in five categories and Filth in three.

As well as best film, Sunshine on Leith, a musical based on the songs of the Proclaimers, has nominations for Peter Mullan as Best Actor and both Jane Horrocks and Freya Mavor for Best Actress.

Dexter Fletcher is nominated for Best Director.

Filth, an adaptation of Irvine Welsh's controversial novel, is nominated for Best Film, its star James McAvoy and director Jon S Baird receive nods for Best Actor and Director respectively.

Other nominations include:

JAMES MCAVOY Filth

PETER MULLAN Sunshine on Leith

JACK O'CONNELL Starred Up

MARK BONNAR Line of Duty

DOUGLAS HENSHALL Shetland

DAVID TENNANT The Escape Artist

JANE HORROCKS Sunshine on Leith

SOPHIE KENNEDY CLARK Philomena

FREYA MAVOR Sunshine on Leith

LAURIE BRETT Waterloo Road

SHIRLEY HENDERSON Southcliffe

SHARON ROONEY My Mad Fat Diary

ALL OVER THE PLACE AUSTRALIA

THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK

KATIE MORAG

LIMMY'S SHOW! CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

MILLER'S MOUNTAIN

MRS BROWN'S BOYS

BLETHERING REFERENDUM

DAVE: LOAN RANGER

PANORAMA: ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE

JON S BAIRD Filth

DAVID MACKENZIE Starred Up

DEXTER FLETCHER Sunshine on Leith

BRITAIN'S WHALE HUNTERS: THE UNTOLD STORY

CLYDEBUILT: SHIPS THAT BUILT THE COMMONWEALTH

THE STORY OF WOMEN AND ART

FILTH

STARRED UP

SUNSHINE ON LEITH

DREAM ME UP SCOTTY

I BELONG TO GLASGOW

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION