Film festival spotlight on the world’s oceans
Final preparations are under way for the fifth Hebrides International Film Festival from Wednesday September 19 to Saturday September 22.
The festival, supported by Creative Scotland, Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE) and other agencies and presented in collaboration with An Lanntair brings the latest in world cinema to the islands.
Only films made in the last three years are eligible to be included in the programme, which is curated by Muriel Ann Macleod, director of the Rural Nations Community Interest Company, with the support of Paul Taylor, cinema programmer at Eden Court Theatre.
All the films being shown are within the festival’s broad theme of ‘islands, environmental issues and indigenous peoples’ and this year there is a particular focus on the world’s oceans.
One of the headline documentaries, Blue, filmed in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Pacific and United States, has been described by Greenpeace as a ‘cinematic song for our oceans; beautiful, intimate and grand’.
Another film, A Plastic Ocean, was shot over four years at 20 locations across the planet and documents how wildlife and people are living among toxic refuse.
There are around 13 ‘shorts’ on the programme including Cianalas by young Hebridean Zoe Paterson Macinnes, which is currently being well received.
The full programme is available online at www. hebfilmfestival.org.
There will also be special daytime screenings for school groups, masterclasses from film makers, environmental lectures and a beach clean.
Programmes are also being printed and will be widely distributed.