Boost For Film Competition

25th July 2012

MG ALBA's flagship FilmG project has been boosted by the Scottish Government announcement of £30,000 of funding for the national short film competition.

The funding was announced during a visit by the First Minister to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland's Gaelic college, on the Isle of Skye.

Launched in 2008, FilmG was devised to provide an opportunity to uncover and showcase some of the best creative media talent amongst both young people and adults across Scotland.

To enter, all films must be three to five minutes long and be in Scottish Gaelic - although the filmmaker does not need to speak Gaelic.

The money awarded by the Scottish Government will go towards the FilmG's schools' training programme provided by Cànan.

Cànan, who run the FilmG competition on behalf of MG ALBA, provide young people in the 12 to 17 age category with a range of workshops and expertise to enable them to make the very best use of their talent and technology when entering the competition.

For the FilmG 2012 12-17 age group competition, 38 films were entered from 24 schools across the country - a figure that organisers hope will continue to rise year-on-year.

As well as the schools' training programme, supported by the Scottish Government and Bòrd na Gàidhlig, there is a FilmG workshops and training programme for older filmmakers that wish to enter the adult competition categories.

In recent years, acclaimed actor and director David Hayman and producer and director Michael Hines have been amongst those who have given their time to pass on their wealth of expertise and experience to those taking the first foray into the industry.

Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA, said: "The FilmG competition will soon enter its fifth year and since its inception it has enabled a wealth of creative talent to be unearthed across Scotland. The young people who have participated have all demonstrated a passion for creating and sharing their own Gaelic media and FilmG has often provided them with their first experience of the stages of production both behind and in front of the camera.

"The programme provided by FilmG not only helps to inspire the Gaelic media champions of tomorrow but is a vital strand in helping to grow Gaelic amongst our young people and we are grateful to the Scottish Government for their funding and support."