FILM investors met with the First Minister Alex Salmond last night in an event to help draw more international movie money to Scotland.

Mr Salmond and Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, hosted a get-together, the idea of leading Scottish comic book writer and publisher Mark Millar, for potential investors at the Glasgow Film Festival.

Mr Salmond said: "Scotland is well known already for its creative film-making talent and for being a fantastic location for movie-makers from all over the world. But we also have the potential to be a production powerhouse ourselves.

"The crucial next step is to attract more international film finance to Scotland, and [this] event is an important way for us to do that."

Mr Millar said: "Historically, you had to live in LA to work in Hollywood, but technology means we can do this from anywhere now. Millarworld alone has six big budget features with the studios and I haven't been in LA for over three years.

"But it doesn't all have to be massive budget fare. A good movie can make back 100 times the initial investment. All you need is a good idea and Scottish creators are hardly short of good ideas."

He added: "The plan here is to put them both in the same room and overhaul what we understand by Scottish cinema overnight. Spain did it, New Zealand did it and South America did it.

"I want Scottish cinema to be a powerhouse thinking globally and bringing in jobs, cash and new opportunities."