FUND AND GAMES

Just sign here doll, and mind and bring back your receipts.

Okay, we can't all be David O. Selznick, but can anybody tell me why Scottish Screen is trying to save money by not spending it on filmmakers? I note that their annual handouts to cash-strapped Scottish producers going to Cannes - which probably means all of them - was buried in the depths of their website.

Only on Friday, allmediascotland.com put out an urgent call on the agency's behalf, asking any producer going to Cannes to apply for said fund, with a deadline of 4pm the same day. Do they mean to say they didn't have any takers? Or is it that, rather than post an announcement on their homepage, Scottish Screen buried the info under 'talent and creativity'?

This is a wee bit worrying. Especially now they've appointed two communications officers. Because either it means no producers are going to Cannes (and who can blame them?). Or else it means SS 'forgot' to announce the fund, maybe in the hope that they could save themselves a few quid by not giving it to all of these useless, money-grabbing producers.

Well, thanks Ken. It's bad enough that producers here are so hard-up they need a couple of ton to get their sorry arses on the EasyCrate to Nice. It's even worse when you deliberately don't tell them you've got cash to spare, when no doubt you'll be taking more than a few staffers to top up their tans.

Bon Voyage indeedy.