Sir Sean Connery’s family is backing plans for a new filmmaking institute in Edinburgh aimed at developing the next generation of Scottish film and television talent.
The National Film and Television School (NFTS) and the Sean Connery Foundation are to establish a permanent base in the capital as part of a significant expansion of their work in Scotland.
The NFTS Sean Connery Institute is expected to launch in 2027, bringing the school’s existing Scottish training programmes together under one organisation and creating a permanent home in central Edinburgh. A physical base is planned to open within the next 18 months.
As well as providing professional film and television training, the centre is expected to open up to the wider public with a regular programme of screenings, masterclasses, talks and other events.
The project will build on the Sean Connery Talent Lab, which has been operating in Leith and was established by the NFTS and the Connery Foundation to give emerging filmmakers intensive training and practical experience.
The year-long programme brings together writers, directors, producers, cinematographers and editors, with participants developing and making short films while receiving mentoring from established figures in the industry.
Around 75 filmmakers have taken part in the Talent Lab since it was launched, with 12 films created by participants receiving world premieres at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2025 and 2026.
Sean Connery’s son Jason and stepson Stephane Connery, who chairs the foundation established in the actor’s name, said the expansion would strengthen the family’s relationship with the city where the James Bond star was born.
They said Connery was “immensely proud of his Scottish roots” and would have been pleased to see the partnership with the NFTS deepen its ties with Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh-born actor grew up in Fountainbridge before going on to become one of Scotland’s most internationally recognised film stars.
The Connery Foundation has increasingly focused its work in Scotland on opening up routes into the screen industry, particularly for people who may previously have regarded careers in film and television as inaccessible.
Foundation chairman Stephane Connery has said its ambition is to widen access to the industry for talented Scots who might otherwise never have considered a career in film and television.
NFTS director Jon Wardle said establishing a permanent Edinburgh operation represented the next stage of the school’s commitment to Scotland after nine years of delivering training in the country.
NFTS Scotland currently runs programmes in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, while the Sean Connery Talent Lab has been based in Leith close to the city’s growing screen production sector.
The institute will also arrive during a period of significant activity in Scotland’s screen industry, with major international productions increasingly using the country as a filming location and a growing emphasis on developing the crews and technical skills required to support them.
The next Sean Connery Talent Lab is due to begin in spring 2027. Applications are currently open for emerging writers, directors, producers, cinematographers and editors, with the programme leading to an NFTS Diploma in Filmmaking.