FILM producers should not expect an imminent rise in financial backing for movie making in Scotland, the chief executive of the nation's arts funding body said last night.
On the day when Creative Scotland unveiled a series of major changes to its internal structures, introducing new posts of a Director of Arts and Director of Film, Janet Archer said she would await the delivery of a long-anticipated film review before any changes are made.
Ms Archer said the changes to the interior structures of the body, which distributes £100 million in government and National Lottery money a year, were long planned, but would not translate directly into new cash for film makers.
Last weekend, The Herald revealed how in a confidential memo to Creative Scotland, more than 60 film producers, including the makers of Sunshine on Leith, Under the Skin, Perfect Sense and Rob Roy, predicted the demise of a faltering film sector unless funding is radically increased.
The producers said that a lack of funding was "killing the industry" north of the border.
Ms Archer said yesterday she would wait for the draft film review report and would not be drawn on any increase to the £4m the body gives to film and TV productions a year.
She said all the body's budgets for 2013/14 were essentially set in stone, but expected the first draft of the film review "imminently".
Ms Archer said: "We want to wait until we have read the review - but as soon as the first version is on my desk, it will become part of planning for the next year."
Last night Gillian Berrie, the leading Scottish film producer, said: "We appreciate Creative Scotland's efforts, but its film sector budget and resources are so limited that Scottish Government need to urgently find mechanisms to bring Scotland in line with our neighbouring small countries."
Creative Scotland, meanwhile, announced it was re-ordering its management structure.
Under Ms Archer and her deputy Iain Munro, there will now be director posts of arts, film and media, strategy, as well as a director of funding operations and finance.
Caroline Parkinson, currently a creative director, will be director of creative industries, Kenneth Fowler will remain as director of communications, and Karen Lannigan as head of HR. The new posts will be advertised imminently and will be paid £55,000 a year, but there will be no increase in the overall budget for salaries.
Ms Archer added: "I want to build up a better knowledge of expertise within the areas we serve and make better use of the overview we hold."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The recent draft Budget showed just how committed the Scottish Government is to supporting the arts."
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