Scottish film scheme takes top award

The New Found Land film 'Leonard', which stars Denis Lawson as a man struggling with an obsessive-compulsive disorder, has scooped one of Europe's top film prizes.
'Leonard' won the 2002 Audience Award at the Clermont-Ferrand short Film Festival in France securing the Vercingetorix trophy for its Glasgow-based director Brian Kelly.
The film was produced under the Scottish Screen/SMG co-production scheme that was set up to encourage digital filmmaking in Scotland. The film was one of only five Scottish entries in a field of over 70 short films submitted for competition at the event and collected the Audience Award – the most sought after prize at the festival voted for by the audiences after all the screenings.
Director Brian Kelly said: "All of us involved in the film are delighted to have won this award. It is very pleasing to get this kind of accolade from the audience, rather than being judged by a jury or a panel."
Sandy Ross, Managing Director of Scottish TV said: "This award confirms to us that the New Found Land scheme is one of the most successful film schemes ever launched in Scotland and Scottish TV and Grampian TV are very proud to be associated with Scottish Screen in it."
New Found Land, now in its third year, was developed to enable emerging filmmakers to make the transition from short form to longer length drama using digital technology suitable for cinema exhibition and television transmission.
The project, the only one of its kind in Scotland, is vital to the development of the indigenous screen industry and to encourage the use of new technology. New Found Land is a co- production venture between Scottish Television, Grampian Television and Scottish Screen.
For this year's scheme the team which produced 'Leonard' are to go start work on a new film with Denis Lawson behind the camera in his first directing role facing the daunting task of directing his nephew Ewan McGregor.
(GMcG)