About Made in Edinburgh

The aim of Made in Edinburgh was to inspire, involve and inform local audiences of Edinburgh's unique relationship with film by showing a selection of Edinburgh inspired productions. By running this special festival we wanted to encourage a sense of pride from living in Edinburgh and seeing it on the big screen.

Ros Davis from Edinburgh Film Focus said “This project allowed us to spotlight the fabulous diversity of locations within and around Edinburgh that have attracted hundreds of productions to the city”.

The Made in Edinburgh project celebrated:

• Edinburgh’s cultural commitment
• How Edinburgh and its surrounding areas have inspired the moving image
• The moving image industry talent based in the Edinburgh city region – producers, directors, animators, games makers and actors.
• The use of the city region locations in films, TV, animation, commercials etc.
• A place with a flourishing moving image sector and a hotbed of creative talent

Film plays an intrinsic part in Edinburgh’s history, cultural and economic life but many of the following facts are little know by those that live here.

• As early as 1842 Adamson and Hill were pioneering photography techniques in Edinburgh.
• Edinburgh based, James Maxwell Clerk was as the forefront of colour photography techniques.
• Edinburgh is home to the longest continually running film festival in the world
• Scotland’s Screen Academy is based in Edinburgh
• Home grown and inward investment productions generate over £2.8 billion for Scotland’s economy some 36% of this is generated by the Edinburgh City Region.
• An average of 250 national and international productions film are made in Edinburgh each year generating approx 150 hours of screen time which is effectively free advertising for the city.
• An average of £3 million a year inward investment is spent in the city by visiting productions
• 3572 people are employed by the Screen Industries in the Lothian area.
• A VisitScotland survey states that British Films and TV programmes have a significant, positive effect on tourism and that they contribute to a wider branding of UK people, society and culture which has a very strong influence on creating a desire to travel and visit the UK, as witnessed in Edinburgh by visitor increase to Rosslyn Chapel after the Da Vinci Code in 2006.
• The makers of internationally successful video game, Grand Theft Auto, Rock Star North are based in Edinburgh, which has sold over 70 million copies.
• Edinburgh is birth place of Sean Connery, Ronnie Corbett, Alastair Sim, Ewan Bremner, Hannah Gordon, Annette Crosby and Ken Stott.
• There are over 70 film, TV, advertising, corporate and animation companies based in the city region, 35 of which are members of the Edinburgh Producer’s Group.