A DECISION on the site and cost of a new national film studio for Scotland is expected in the coming weeks.
More than 300 film makers, leading actors, producers and supporters had by last night signed a new open letter urging the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise to build the new studio in Glasgow.
A spokeswoman for the government said it was "committed" to helping the film industry grow and develop.
She added: "We have been working hard with our partners at Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise to make progress on a film studio for Scotland.
"This work continues and we hope to make an announcement as quickly as possible."
The open letter to the Scottish Government's Film Studio Delivery Group calls for a studio to be built in Glasgow after "years of inertia and procrastination".
It has been signed by Tommy Gormley, the co-producer and assistant director of the new Star Wars film, as well as a scores of other directors, actors, producers and senior executives, and has now been sent to the body established by the government to deliver a film studio for Scotland.
It says Glasgow would be the best site for such a studio as it has a "competitive advantage and baseline of strong scree activity to expand on".
The statement lobbies for a Glasgow location and asks for the government to "urgently reconsider any moves to develop a screen facility or studio outside an urban area".
It is understood that earlier this year the government and Scottish Enterprise were seriously considering a site off the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh, but the plan fell through.
But the letter says: "There is little appetite amongst the many skilled workers, screen companies, post houses, or facilities companies to permanently relocate outside an urban area."
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