SCOTTISH CINEMA came under the spotlight at an international film studies conference that began last night at St Andrews University.

Leading international film-makers, critics and film scholars are taking part in the event organised by the university’s centre for film studies as it celebrates its first anniversary.

The event is entitled Cinema At The Periphery. Speaking at the launch Dr David Martin-Jones said, “In the mid-1990s, all eyes suddenly focused on filmmaking in Scotland. There was the international splash made by such indigenous hits as Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, coupled with the location shooting of Hollywood blockbusters like Braveheart and Rob Roy.

“After years in the filmmaking wilderness, Scotland was suddenly on the map. Since then, we might be forgiven for thinking that things have died down.

“On closer inspection, this is not the case. Since the establishing of Scottish Screen in the late 1990s film-making in Scotland has expanded steadily. For a tiny nation on the global periphery there is an awful lot going on with talented art cinema directors such as Peter Mullan (Orphans, The Magdalene Sisters), Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, Mor-vern Callar) and David MacKenzie (Young Adam, Asylum) doing work here.

“The imminent appearance of Michael Douglas, receiving an honorary degree from St Andrews University next week, is not the only major Hollywood star recently attracted to Scotland.

“In fact, people in Scotland are getting used to seeing the likes of Morgan Freeman, Jet Li, Gillian Anderson, Adrian Brody and Michelle Pfeiffer—plus Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Aishwarya Rai—popping into the local shop.”

He said the tourist boom created by the so called “Braveheart effect” was not lost on the Scottish Executive, Scottish Screen or the Government in Westminster, all of whom went out of their way to encourage inward investment from filmmakers in Hollywood, India, Denmark and elsewhere.

Scottish Screen chief executive Ken Hay recently stated his dedication to developing the education of Scotland’s younger generation of filmmakers and the awareness of audiences to Scottish cinema.

The establishment of the new Screen Academy in Edinburgh illustrated this commitment in concrete terms.

Dr Martin-Jones continued, “The imminent filming of the first ever Gaelic feature, Seachd (The Inaccessible Pinnacle) on Skye is just one example of indigenous production growth, while the presence of award-winning animation company Red Kite in Edinburgh can only help matters.

“In short, we should not too quickly summarise that film-making in Scotland has dried up since the late 1990s. Rather, the ground is gradually being prepared for continued growth.”

French art film director Claire Denis will answer questions at Dundee Contemporary Arts today.

The conference has also attracted Lebanese documentary director Mohamad Soueid, who will introduce his controversial film Civil War (2002), censored in Lebanon and part of a trilogy that includes prize-winning Tango Of Yearning (1998) and Nightfall (2002).