“We are passionate about supporting young people in Dumfries & Galloway to explore filmmaking in all its aspects, whether as a career or simply to enjoy working creatively”.
South West Media Factory has three directors, all committed to supporting young talent and increasing film and TV production in Dumfries & Galloway
Belle Doyle
Originally from London, Belle has been in Scotland since 1999, after doing a PhD in Hollywood Film at the University of Sheffield. She has many years of experience of working in all aspects of the film industry from running the SW Scotland Screen Commission to managing the RBCFT cinema, successfully bringing THE MAGDALENE SISTERS to Dumfries. She ran the national Scottish Screen Commission for eight years promoting the country for film production.
Since then, she has run events for Women in Film & TV, developed industry training for the University of the West of Scotland, produced the local feature film STELLA by writer/director Jessica Fox, and written the screen strategy for the South of Scotland for South of Scotland Enterprise, Scottish Borders Council and Dumfries & Galloway Council. She set up SWMF in 2019 to ensure this region did not miss out on any opportunities in film and TV production.
Grażyna McGroarty
Based in Dunscore, Grażyna is a graduate of University West of Scotland where she studied Filmmaking and Screen Writing. She joined the film and television industry as a runner in 2016 working across scripted television and feature film. Having discovered a love of screenwriting, she completed NFTS Scotland’s certificate course, “Screenwriting: Finding Your Voice”, while working as assistant to director Jon S Baird on feature film TETRIS in 2020. Most recently Grażyna has been script assistant for Left Bank Pictures crime thriller Department Q, which was shot in Edinburgh in 2024.
Grażyna has been continuously writing and growing as a filmmaker. PEGGED, her hilarious first feature script has been pitched to Film 4 at Glasgow film festival 2022 and in May 2023 Grażyna made her directorial debut with short film MANIC HEALING. She was one of eleven Scottish up-and-coming screenwriters named as a BBC Writersroom’s Voice in 2023.
Graeme Robertson
Originally from Glasgow, Graeme studied Design and spent most Saturday afternoons in Glasgow Film Theatre watching films. He moved south to Dumfries in the mid-1990’s and worked part-time in London where he further developed his techniques in electronic sound design and photography.
He worked with the Mullen Brothers on the casting of the actors for NEDS (2010) and produced the stills for publicity and advertising. NEDS went on to win the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival 2011 for best film and a number of Scottish BAFTAs.
Graeme then worked for the Walt Disney Company as the photographer covering the European market. He retired in 2022 to concentrate on his own photography and design work. He is committed to ensuring that young people are aware of the disciplines, techniques and methods that filmmaking encompasses, and is keen to support experimental work in the fields of cinematography and digital photography.