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National Library of Scotland

Biography of 'Scottish Screen Collection'

Publicly funded film collection

In April 1997, the Scottish Film Council, Scottish Screen Locations, Scottish Broadcast and Film Training and the Scottish Film Production Fund merged to form the non-departmental government body Scottish Screen. Creating a ‘one stop shop’ for the screen industries was important and built on the momentum of success stories such as Braveheart (1995), Rob Roy (1995) and Trainspotting (1996). Scottish Screen had an ambitious remit - concerned with cultural and educational access to screen heritage as well as the business and resourcing of film-making in Scotland.

As the parent body of the Scottish Screen Archive, Scottish Screen had an obligation to preserve films funded from the public purse, particularly relevant now distribution of Lottery funds was its responsibility. Although funding arrangements existed between its predecessor bodies and other organisations (eg. broadcasters), Scottish Screen also introduced a clause in production agreements that provided for a copy of the finished work to be deposited for archival preservation.

In 2007, the Scottish Screen Archive transferred to the National Library of Scotland, and with it, the responsibility to continue collecting film, video and born digital work. Scottish Screen transferred their former distribution collection and back catalogue to the Archive, much of which was earlier work not covered by the new arrangements. This diverse collection of modern Scottish film production now promises to grow in partnership with Creative Scotland from 2010 and far into Scotland’s digital future.

The collection contains creative and factual documentary, experimental artists film, video dance, animation, comedy, horror, drama …. They include films made by people of all ages, some featuring Scottish actors ‘before they were famous’, and there are plenty of lesser-known titles to explore, eg. THE EVANESCENT HERB GARDEN OF DEATH (1993)

Dating from the early 1980s onwards, such works have generally been made through a variety of funding and training initiatives. Scottish Screen and its predecessor bodies ran such schemes in collaboration with partners, ensuring vital broadcast and theatrical exposure for new filmmaking talent.

First Reels (1991 - 1999), in collaboration with Scottish Television, offered small financial incentives (£50 - £2000) but more importantly, hands-on experience and exposure. The scheme proved a springboard to greater things for talent such as Peter Mullan, David Tennant and Hannah Robinson, yet supported community groups (Pilton Video, Castlemilk Elderly Forum), individual animators, dancers, students and video artists. Prime Cuts (1996 - 1998) followed, encouraging innovative films on 16mm between 5 – 7 min, from documentary to experimental. Graduates of this scheme include acclaimed video dance artist, Katrina McPherson and directors Morag MacKinnon, Justin Molotnikov and Elly M. Taylor. Tartan Shorts (1993 - 1996), Tartan Smalls (2002 - 2005) and the Gaelic language Geur Ghearr (1996 - 1998) - schemes working with with BBC Scotland and Comataidh Craolaidh Gaidhlig - led to short films shown on family television sets across the country, and those same titles distributed to festivals across the world. Amongst this collection is the Oscar-winning FRANZ KAFKA'S IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1993), This Scotland (2002 - 2005) and New Found Land (2000 - 2004) are examples of schemes co-funded by STV and Grampian that produced a variety of productions with longer running times of up to 25 min and a strong emphasis on quality documentary.

Around 2002, a slight shift away from shorts to predominantly Scottish-funded features as well as international co-productions is evident. These range from the hard-hitting 16 YEARS OF ALCOHOL (2003), to the lighthearted STONE OF DESTINY (2008). SEACHD - INACCESSIBLE PINNACLE (2007) is the first feature film in the language of Scottish Gaelic to achieve mainstream cinematic distribution. (The archive holds deposit copies on 35mm as well as HD). International co-productions include SKAGERRAK (2004) and animated THE THREE MUSKETEERS (DE TRE MUSKATERER) (2006).

Aside from the funded schemes, there is much to enjoy. Music video 4 Minute Wonders (2001 - 2003) feature Scottish bands and record labels (Soma, Chemikal Underground). Bridging the Gap (since 2004) remains an intelligent, creative force in Scottish film-making. Scottish Students on Screen (started c. 1999) material ranges from GUID MAN OF BALLENGEICH (2001), made by schoolchildren in Stirlingshire, to COLD TAPE (2000), shown at Tate Britain. Interviews, stills, scripts, and other supporting documentation relating to the films are all kept.

There are just under 700 titles recorded to date. As well as basic content information, much of which has been taken from secondary sources (title, release date, synopsis, director, producer, production company, sponsor), full cast and credits are transcribed directly from viewing the source material. For the first time, the full scope, range and amount of Scottish publicly funded film in the last three decades has been brought together in one searchable set of data – with open public access worldwide.

Due to rights and conditions of deposit, viewings are only offered on National Library of Scotland premises. Requests for a loan, to screen, duplicate or otherwise distribute material in the collection should be directed to Creative Scotland. Permission for such uses will only be given in consultation with rights holders.

This is a work in progress - a constantly evolving collection. The growth of the collection reflects the creativity and talent of those working the screen industries in Scotland. The collection continues to flourish, with new work produced under Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland.

Missing, believed lost?
Gaps in the collection have been identified, and it would be invaluable to find this material and preserve it in the national collection. Representation of earlier work, such as First Reels, is patchy (eg. an interview with the director of a film exists on Betacam SP tape, but the 16mm completed film is nowhere to be seen!) Some films are incomplete or in poor condition and there may still be surviving material somewhere.

Researcher: Ann Cameron

Films associated with 'COCOZZA, Enrico'

Title Release date Film reference Sound Colour Date film record added Date video added Asc Desc
	HARRY'S JOINT [8158] Add to my films In this 1950's inspired animation, Harry's Joint is invaded by a somewhat paranoid Arnold Schwarzenegger - presaging the End of the World.		2001 sound col
	HARVEST, the [7605] Add to my films The future. When the crew of a tiny deep space research vessel are unexpectedly exposed to an alien energy, repressed behaviours come to the fore.		2006 sound col
	HEAVY METAL JR.: A Portrait of Pre-Teen Rebellion [7565] Add to my films 'Hatred' are a loud metal band from Stirling with an average age of 10. This documentary follows their shambolic preparations for their first gig. An affectionate portrayal of life in a rock band, played out in miniature.		2005 sound col
	HEIST: Don't Trust Anyone [8510] Add to my films A young person’s take on the traditional Heist theme. Heist: Don’t Trust Anyone is about a taxi firm with a difference.	Onsite only	2008 sound col
	HERE COME THE TATTIE HOWKERS [8232] Add to my films The film documents an all but forgotten piece of Scottish social history, the story of the Irish tattie howkers who for decades provided labour for Scottish farmers. Through a narrative weaved out of their personal stories a past way of life is revealed in cinematic images.	Onsite only	2008 sound bwcol
	HERE'S JOHNNY [7641] Add to my films Camping out by a disused tunnel. Kirsty winds Jamie up with horror stories about the mysterious hunter Johnny. A nasty shock lies in wait for both of them when Kirsty lures Jamie into the tunnel to look for the bodies of Johnny’s victims.		1996 sound col
	HERMAN CAN SING [7890] Add to my films A young vaudevillian ventriloquist attempts to charm a drunken audience with his song. Can Herman sing?	Onsite only	2003 sound bw
	HIDDEN [7663] Add to my films Three murders in thirteen minutes. When two small time criminals break into a large country house owned by a member of the establishment, they stumble into a violent situation neither had been anticipating. To their horror they find this notorious judge keeping a young girl brutalised in the basement. The outcome of the film for the audience is as unexpected as the situation the boys themselves in - extreme, shocking, and deeply uncomfortable.		2000 sound col
	HIDDEN GIFTS: The Mystery of Angus MacPhee [7498] Add to my films A creative documentary that explores the mystery of art and mental illness. Hidden Gifts tells the story of Angus MacPhee, "the quiet big man" from South Uist, who wove clothes from grass.	Onsite only	2004 sound col
	HIGHLANDERS TOO [7987] Add to my films The short film looks at what it is like to be gay when the nearest bar is 250 miles away. Drawn from nearly 20 hours of interviews with Highlander gay men of all ages, the film tells of the double lives, feelings of isolation, religious oppression and struggle for selfhood.	Onsite only	1997 sound col
	HOLLY HUT, the [7586] Add to my films A group of Japanese children rebuild a derelict tree-house in the grounds of an old school in the Scottish countryside [Kilquanity House]. An inspiring story of a radical experiment in alternative education.	Onsite only	2004 sound col
	HOLYROOD FILES, the [8080] Add to my films Filmed over five and a half years, The Holyrood Files is the inside story of how the construction of a new parliament building for Scotland divided the nation. With unique access to unfolding events and key players, the film offers a compelling insight into the longest running and most controversial story in recent Scottish history.	Onsite only	2005 sound col
	HOME [8137] Add to my films A day in the life of a guy that works for the council, involving old women, bad smells, dogs and lino.		1998 sound col
	HOMECOMING [8236] Add to my films As celebrations get under way on the holy day of Eid, a British Asian family are surprised by a sudden visit. Soon smouldering family resentment and unexpected racial hatred rise to the surface as the 'family' find themselves in conflict with each other.	Onsite only	2008 sound col
	HONEY [8220] Add to my films A young Chinese woman visits a sound studio for an audition. Things do not initially go well for the woman until the sound engineer offers some surprising advice.		2002 sound col
	HORSEHAIR [7546] Add to my films A surreal black comedy about a man who spends too much time in his favourite arm-chair.		1998 sound col
	HOST, the [2582] Add to my films A drama based on the short story "Supper on the Wall" by Hugh McBain. Archie wins on the horses and organises a small party in his house. Alone, he lays out 12 bottles of beer, 12 fish suppers and a half bottle of whisky whilst talking to a mural of the Last Supper. [A trainee film produced by young people during their year on the Scottish Film Training Trust Programme]		1988 sound col
	HOTEL CENTRAL [7796] Add to my films Hovering in mood somewhere between M. HULOT’S HOLIDAY and THE EXORCIST, this eccentric film does not attempt to narrate a dream, though it exploits the same kind of mechanisms that dreams utilise. Hold on to your hats!		2000 sound bwcol
	HOW HIGH THE CASTLE WALLS [7584] Add to my films A rare glimpse into a very private moment as this Scottish filmmaker follows her fiancee's battle and triumph over Hodgkin's Disease, which is both a romance and a journey.	Onsite only	1997 sound col
	HOW THE SEA WAS SALT [7507] Add to my films A short folk tale about Greed, Envy and a Talking Tree! Based on a story my father used to tell me at bedtime, it’s about a lonely old beachcomber who is given a magic mill by a strange tree, only to have it stolen by a passing hunter. It is a fairy tale about how the sea became salty.	Onsite only	2000 sound col
	HOW TO SAVE A FISH FROM DROWNING [8058] Add to my films A film about the death of white rural America told through the voices of three old men fishing on a frozen lake.	Onsite only	2007 sound col
	HUGH'S STORY [8519] Add to my films Raw, unedited material related to a documentary about Hugh Collins - Saughton "Lifer" sculptor working in Muirhouse.		1993 sound col
	HUSHTOWN [7585] Add to my films Children should be seen and not heard? In Hushtown that's the law! When ten year old Laura Noyce moves to Hushtown she breaks the law and has to suffer the consequences, or does she?	Onsite only	2004 sound col
	HYPERACTIVE MOZART [7566] Add to my films Two Glasgow boys, aged 5 and 8, are followed for three months as they go through a new intensive treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).	Onsite only	2003 sound col
	I AM BELFAST [13926] Add to my films Mark Cousins’ dreamlike evocation of his home city drives far beyond its over familiar political story to find a capital of rich history and startling beauty. Our guide is not Cousins himself, but a 10,000-year-old lady who claims to be the spirit of the city itself, taking us on a journey through the city’s rich, complex and often tragic history. From wandering through the streets, meeting jaunty pensioners Rosie and Maud, to the horrors of the Troubles, I Am Belfast is an impassioned, politically engaged and inventive love letter from Cousins to his hometown.		2016 sound col
	I AM BOY [7848] Add to my films The musical influences on a boy from Siberia, pre and post Perestroika.	Onsite only	2000 sound col
	I AM BREATHING [13906] Add to my films Within one year, Neil Platt goes from being a regular, funny, 30-something British bloke to becoming someone much more extraordinary. Completely paralyzed from the neck down, he is forced to ask questions most of us never have to face. Neil puts together a letter and memory box for his baby son Oscar and communicates his experience and thoughts about life in a blog - and in this film, which he was determined to make.		2013 sound col
	I SAW YOU [5991] Add to my films Iris is receiving romantic messages in the 'I Saw You' columns of a city magazine. Who is the mysterious sender and should she meet him?	Onsite only	2000 sound col
	ICE PLANT, the [8070] Add to my films Emotionally challenged Ida works happily alone at an ice cube factory until her perfect world is disrupted by the arrival of a new colleague.	Onsite only	2007 sound col
	ICICLE MELT [7525] Add to my films Like young lovers, a couple dance in the snow. When death strikes, Madeleine freezes over. Eventually her heart melts; at Bernard's side she says goodbye.	Onsite only	2006 sound col
	IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT [7504] Add to my films When Sid, Leanne and Claire take to the kitchen in a crazy comedy about cooking, the proof is most definitely in the pudding!	Onsite only	2003 sound col
	I'LL BE RIGHT HERE [21378] Add to my films Holed-up in an LA hotel room, John Moffat has fanciful, deluded dreams about meeting his idol Steven Spielberg. When Moffat befriends an ageing hotel employee, a twisted struggle for power develops. [Source - Digicult]		2009 sound col
	IM [7686] Add to my films Scotland - the future. Democracy has evolved. Citizens vote in mandatory daily referenda and aspire to the ultimate prize - a place on IM: Heaven Above Earth.	Onsite only	2004 sound col
	IN THE SNACK BAR [21361] Add to my films Inspired by the poetry of Edwin Morgan, In the Snack Bar is a tale of the unlikely connection between two outsiders. Set in Glasgow over one night we follow Stephen, a young rent boy, who comes to a life changing decision when he has to assist Walter, a blind old man to the bathroom. This chance meeting compels Stephen to question his self-deprecating life choices. [Source - IMDB, last accessed 7/12/2023]		2011 sound col
	INESCAPABLE ARRIVAL OF LAZLO PETUSHKI, the [13917] Add to my films A scruffy young man is about to arrive in a mysterious city by ship, when he finds himself lost and on the run in its labyrinthine hull. On his surreal journey he’s being chased by the inescapable: himself, the very luggage he was hoping to leave behind.		2017 sound col
	INITIATION [7533] Add to my films The relationship between a father and son is taken to the limit when the workmen at the family firm initiate the boy into his new job.		1996 sound col
	INSIDE AN UNCLE [7508] Add to my films A frewwheeling comedy where we learn literally what we already know. Metaphoricallty - inside every adult there is a child working the controls. Seven year-old Gavin discovers that his babysitter, Uncle Bob, has a small boy inside him, making him work. What happens when Gavin decides that he wants a go?		2002 sound col
	INSTANT CREDIT [7526] Add to my films Downtrodden Frankie (Billy Boyd) is given an opportunity that is too good to refuse when a chance encounter gives him 24 hours to get his life back on track and revive his romance.	Onsite only	2004 sound col
	INTERNATIONAL KINGSLINK CARNIVAL [8397] Add to my films A series of short films celebrating the annual International Kingslink Carnival which takes place in August in Glasgow every year.		2008 sound col
	INTERVIEW, the [7685] Add to my films An imminent job interview offers hope, but will the questions raised help the interviewee to move on or drive her further into her trouble-filled past.		2004 sound col
	IONA [13881] Add to my films Iona and her teenage son, Bull seek refuge among a Christian community on the island where she was born.		2016 sound col
	IOTA [7676] Add to my films Iota is the powerful story of loss and rediscovered communication within a remote and voiceless family.		2003 sound col
	IRENE [8234] Add to my films "An engaging story about the filmmaker's 92 year-old grandmother, and the daughter who cares for her. While suffering from Alzheimer's and decreasing physical ability, Irene's feisty personality still shines through, often leading to both laughter and heartache." [Nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award 2008 for Best Short Film]	Onsite only	2008 sound col
	IS MISE AN TEANGA [8036] Add to my films Documentary about the Gaelic language, its contemporary poets and their encounters with a hundred visual artists in Leabhar Mòr na Gàidhlig, a Book of Kells for our time. The film travels territory from the Outer Hebrides to inner Dublin, to Connemara and the streets of West Belfast and Glasgow. We meet a group of quietly extraordinary poets encountering the world of the contemporary artist. [Source - BBC Alba]	Onsite only	sound col
	ISLE OF VOICES [7510] Add to my films A foolish young man confronts his father-in-law, a powerful and wealthy sorceror, and finds himself stranded on an enchanted island. A gripping tale of greed, stupidity and the supernatural, based on the short story by Robert Louis Stevenson.		1994 sound col
	JAH [7833] Add to my films Music video produced for '4 Minute Wonders' scheme, featuring the track 'Jah' by Akai Krush Crew. A smart gathering of Edinburgh folk come to view a black-and-white Bollywood song-and-dance. [synopsis by Angus Wolfe Murray, from Eye for Film website http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?film_id=9859, last accessed 23/2/2009]		2002 sound col
	JAMES JOYCE GOES TO CHINA [13896] Add to my films Documentary following Glasgow's Tron Theatre Company as they tour China with a stage adaptation of James Joyce's Ulysses.		2016 sound col
	JOSEPH STONE [8167] Add to my films A parody of a news item looking at the sensationalist display of the eponymous artist, raising wider questions about what we, as a society, are prepared to accept in the name of art.		2000 sound col
	JOYRIDE [7642] Add to my films A man is captured by two homicidal maniacs and thrown into the boot of his car. Will he survive the journey that follows?	Onsite only	1995 sound bw
	JURNI, the [8174] Add to my films One of two music-inspired film made in 1996 at the MacRobert, with pupils from several secondary schools in the Stirling area, and using techniques pioneered by Stirling-born avant garde animator Norman McLaren.		1996 sound col