Inspired by the original Films of Scotland, which ran from 1938 until 1982, the Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF) is urging young people to pick up a camera or their phone and shoot whatever they would like about life in Scotland.
The five-minute shorts can be about any subject and in any form, be that documentary, animation, drama, or experimental, as the competition aims to highlight the country’s next generation of filmmakers.
David Barras, co-founder and executive director of SYFF, told the Sunday National that the competition is a great way to get young people who wouldn’t normally engage with the film industry – whether that be because they are from socially disadvantaged or geographically isolated backgrounds – get involved with filmmaking.
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He added that resurrecting Films of Scotland came from conversations with young people about the representation of Scots and the country on film.
“Who better to reflect the state of the nation than our young people?” Barras said.
Films of Scotland has been backed by a host of some of the country’s biggest names in the industry including producer Iain Smith and actor Alan Cumming.
Smith (below), who is best known for his productions of Mad Max: Fury Road, Children Of Men and The Fifth Element, said there is insufficient support in Scotland for young people looking to make their way into creative industries.
(Image: Getty Images) He added that the competition by SYFF is a great way for young Scots to “get a leg up” and has encouraged any budding filmmaker that if they have a “nagging sense of ‘I can do this’”, they “have to answer that call”.
The producer said the competition is a great way to showcase the next generation of film talent but has warned there needs to be more support and opportunities for youngsters.
“Scotland suffers from insufficient support of the creative industries in spite of our natural gifts and talents,” Smith said.
He added: “Scotland lacks what I would call a proper commercial environment in which creativity can flourish.
“I think that is a question for the Government of whichever colour for not considering creativity to be a priority on any significant level.
“There’s no doubt that Scotland can provide talent for film and television. No doubt about it at all. In fact, it’s been proven many, many times.
“However, in order to make the most of their talent, people have to generally consider leaving Scotland.”
Smith (below) explained that he had to leave Scotland to gain a career in the film industry, although he said it is something he doesn’t regret as it provided him with great life experience.
(Image: Martini)
He added that the Films of Scotland is a great way for young people to explore something that they may very much enjoy but might not know yet.
The veteran Hollywood producer shared his experience of growing up in post-war Glasgow and said he discovered that it was a lonely and “to a large extent, fruitless exercise” being a filmmaker in Scotland at a young age.
However, he is a proud supporter of SYFF and Films of Scotland as he said he always has “an eye out for helping young talent”.
The Films of Scotland committee was formed in 1938 and produced seven films for the Empire Exhibition, held in Glasgow, and was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world.
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The committee aimed to foster and encourage the production of Scottish films of national interest and re-formed after the Second World War and made more than 150 films until the 1980s.
Films Scotland helped to nurture some of the country’s top filmmakers like Murray Grigor, Charles Gormley and Bill Forsyth and has now been relaunched as the competition looks to celebrate the country’s next generation of screen talent.
Barras (below, second left) said he is looking forward to seeing what young people submit for what modern-day Scotland is to them, as he believes the competition will be a great way to showcase different communities from around the country.
(Image: Tom Duffin) He added that social media platforms like TikTok have made young people “very visually literate” and stressed that those who wish to enter don’t need to film anything “massively slick”.
For Barras, one of the most important parts of the competition is the creative ideas young Scots come up with for their films.
“I think as Scots, we’re all aware of how we’re personified on screen a lot, and we don’t often see true representations of Scots and Scottishness on screen,” Barras said.
“It’s a great thing to just turn it back to the young people and say, ‘right, what’s important to you, what’s on your mind at the minute in the 21st century being a young Scot?’
“It’s probably the same things on the minds of many young people.”
Filmmakers can choose any subject reflecting contemporary life in Scotland with the competition open to current residents in the country, aged 26 or under, with their film no longer than five minutes long.
The competition winners will be announced at a prize-giving ceremony hosted at the National Museum of Scotland in March 2025 with the winning films being preserved in the National Library of Scotland’s collections alongside the original Films of Scotland.
The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2025, and you can click here to find out more about the competition.