Films of Scotland
One of the most coherent local and national film collections in the UK, Films of Scotland charts the changing face of Scotland from the 1930s to 1982.
All the films were made under the auspices of the Films of Scotland Committee, which had a brief to sponsor films to promote Scotland's social, cultural and industrial attributes, both nationally and internationally.
In collaboration with Scottish Screen Film Archive, most of the 157 titles are available, including all seven films made for the Empire Exhibition in 1938, as well as a selection of the films made between 1955 and 1982; topics covered range across industry, agriculture, fishing, the work of Scottish artists and writers, architecture, tourism, urban redevelopment and Scottish music and dancing.
The material is relevant to both HE and FE courses and will be useful in art and art history, media studies, social, economic and industrial history, architectural history, cultural studies, sociology, environmental studies, and ethnographic, literary, and music studies.
Those wishing to carry out further research should note that the Scottish Screen Film Archive holds an archive of supporting documentation, including correspondence, draft and final scripts, music cue sheets, still photographs, marketing materials, programme booklets and awards certificates, distribution details and the administrative records of the Committee that commissioned the productions.
Overview of the collection written by Janet McBain, Curator Scottish Screen, for Media Online Focus. (PDF file, 340 kb)
Overview of the collection written by Duncan Petrie, University of Exeter. (PDF file, 100 kb)
For more information on the Films of Scotland collection and Scottish Screen please go to the Scottish Screen Website.
Written and compiled by the British Universities Film & Video Council © BUFVC 2005
