Rosie Ellison runs Film Edinburgh, the film commission for Edinburgh, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders, working with filmmakers, local authorities, residents and businesses to attract productions to the area and facilitate their shoots.
She says she has been doing this for too long to quantify, but in a previous life Rosie was a producer and researcher of factual TV, creative documentaries and short drama.
She has also coordinated film industry conventions, festivals and trade delegations, starting out her professional career at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
We put her in the spotlight to find out about Edinburgh on film.
What is the best film ever made in Edinburgh or which has Edinburgh connections in your view?
Can I have two?
– Under The Skin, directed by Jonathan Glazer, starring Scarlett Johanssen as an alien disguised as a human who hunts for men. Alone in Scotland, she becomes curious about human relationships and starts to get to know a man, and there’s a scene in this section which was filmed at Seacliff and Tantallon Castle in East Lothian.
Under the Skin is one of the most heart-wrenching and achingly beautiful films I’ve seen. I’m very proud that the filmmakers included the Edinburgh city region in the mix of locations.
– Chariots of Fire – Hugh Hudson won an Oscar with his Edinburgh-set film. Great performances, a script that is as poignant today as ever, and some all-time-classic shots of Edinburgh including the skyline from Arthurs Seat and a race in Inverleith Park.
What is the best filming location in the city or indeed the most popular – can you tell me about the films it has been used in?
The iconic Royal Mile and its closes is by far the most sought-after part of Edinburgh, featured in over 350 productions spanning factual and drama.
Highlights include The Escape Artist, Festival, Rebus, Case Histories, T2 Trainspotting, One Day, Cloud Atlas, Clique, Avengers, Outlander, Ayat Cinta 2 (Indonesian blockbuster), Looking After Jo Jo, The Debt Collector, Waterboys, Great Expectations (BBC), Murder Rooms (BBC drama about Sherlock Holmes), Greyfriars Bobby, Driving Lessons, Gideon’s Daughter, Low Winter Sun, Burke & Hare, Garrow’s Law, Pramface, The Secret Agent, Liar.
What does film tourism bring to Edinburgh?
Films & TV are the best advertising that money can’t buy.
A successful movie or TV show showcases Edinburgh all over the world, and latest research shows that 40% of visitors to the UK are inspired to visit places they’ve seen on the screen.
Look at the impact of films like Lord of the Rings, Inspector Montalbano, Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, and now Outlander – these have all resulted in dramatic increases in visitor numbers to the locations featured, with Doune Castle recording an increase of over 100% in the 4 years since Outlander first hit the screens, and Rosslyn Chapel benefiting so much from The Da Vinci Code that it could at last afford the repairs to the building and build a visitor centre and car park.
If you need help for your film contact Rosie at Film Edinburgh info@filmedinburgh.org.
Images courtesy of Film Edinburgh
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
