A new national screen agency should be created immediately to promote and fund Scottish film, a leading movie producer has claimed.

Gillian Berrie, producer of films such as Under The Skin, Red Road and Perfect Sense, has proposed a nine-point plan to improve what she described to the Scottish Parliament as the "terrible state" of the film industry.

She said Scotland should build a film studio as soon as possible, making sure it was "firmly rooted into the indigenous industry".

Scottish Enterprise should create an incentive fund to lure overseas films into Scotland and the studio, while Creative Scotland, into which Scottish Screen was merged, should apply for European funding for films, she said.

Ms Berrie reiterated her call for the Scottish Government to invest directly in film in the manner it invests directly in Scottish Opera, the National Theatre of Scotland and the other companies.

Scottish Enterprise is backing the idea of a film studio, but its final report into the feasibility of a studio is due early in the New Year.

Creative Scotland is to publish a film review early next year. A spokeswoman said: "Finding the right level of support for film production in Scotland will be a key part in the development of our plans into 2014 and beyond.

"In the meantime, we are working together in particular with Independent Producers Scotland, on establishing what opportunities there are through European (ERDF) funding.

"The final report is due to be published as planned, in January."