Published: 19 Oct 2018
Tonight, Friday 19 October, Scotland’s biggest budget feature film ever to be produced in Scotland by home-grown talent, will receive its Scottish premiere in Edinburgh.
Outlaw King is directed by one of Scotland’s foremost filmmakers, David Mackenzie and is developed and produced by Gillian Berrie of Sigma Films, with a screenplay by Bash Doran, David Mackenzie and emerging Scottish writer, James MacInnes.
We’re proud to have supported Outlaw King, a film that was born and raised in Scotland, from its early development through to production.- Isabel Davis, Exec Director, Screen Scotland
Featuring a cast principally of Scottish and UK leading actors alongside leading actor Chris Pine, the production which is set and shot entirely in Scotland, has also employed a large number of Scottish based craft and technical talent and utilised over 45 different locations including Craigmillar Castle (Edinburgh), Linlithgow Palace, Berwick Bridge, Talisker (Skye), Glencoe, Doune Castle, Mugdock Country Park (Milngavie), Coral Beach (Skye) and the Quiraing (Skye).
Outlaw King has also hosted Scotland’s biggest ever single film trainee initiative. 35 trainees have experienced working across the creative, technical and business areas of the production. Dedicated to nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, the programme reflects the aims of valuable similar initiatives taking place across Scotland working to develop a continuous flow of skilled and creatively ambitious craft and technical crew.
Outlaw King has received National Lottery and Scottish Government support of £1million through Screen Scotland’s Development and Production Fund and Production Growth Fund.
Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland said: “We are enormously excited to see David Mackenzie’s magnificent Outlaw King receive its Scottish premiere, before its Netflix release in 193 countries around the world. It's an epic achievement for David, producer Gillian Berrie and all involved, attesting to the ambition and talent of our filmmakers.
“Outlaw King’s exploration of the life of Robert the Bruce will provide audiences around the world with a chance to engage with Scotland’s rich history, and to fall in love with her breathtaking landscape.
“We’re proud to have supported Outlaw King, a film that was born and raised in Scotland, from its early development through to production with funding from the National Lottery and Scottish Government through Creative Scotland.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Outlaw King brings the story of one of Scotland’s most well-known figures to life and it is fantastic to see this film developed and produced with top Scottish creative talent.
“Thanks to Creative Scotland funding we were able to encourage Outlaw King to film and base its production here, which has helped one of Scotland’s most prolific production companies build an important relationship with Netflix and given trainees an incredible start in the industry.
“As the largest feature film to be made here to date, Outlaw King shows we have the stories, locations, skills and support to make world-class productions in Scotland.”
Gillian Berrie, Producer of Outlaw King, said: "David Mackenzie and I are delighted to be having our Scottish premiere here in Edinburgh. It’s a fantastic homecoming for the film. We’re hugely appreciative of Creative Scotland and Scottish Government’s Herculean support over the years and are excited about the future of Scotland’s burgeoning screen sector."
The Outlaw King premiere comes at a time of growing confidence for the Screen industry in Scotland after a strong year for the sector. It was announced in August that spend on film and TV in Scotland reached £95million - the highest level since records began - and a £26million increase on the previous year. Over the past decade, spend has increased more than 300%.
This news coincided with a doubling in funding of £10million to £20million from the Scottish Government, the launch of the new Screen Scotland partnership charged with leading sector growth and new and increased funds including £2million enhanced incentive funding to attract productions to film in Scotland; a brand new £3million Broadcast Content Fund and a £600K Film Festivals Fund. New skills development and funds to boost film and tv education will be announced soon. All details can be accessed at www.screen.scot.
*denotes film and TV productions in receipt of Creative Scotland funding.
www.screen.scot @screenscots
Eilidh Walker, Media Relations and PR Officer- Screen
Tel: 0131 523 0019 / Mobile: 07545 402 064
Email: EilidhWalker@creativescotland.com