Film festival reels in young islanders for film festival

Desperate to get away to the sun, myself and a few pals last week decided to write off the Mediterranean for another year and head, instead, to the Hebrides.

We flew out to Tiree on Tuesday evening and the holiday that followed was better than anything the Med could have offered. In the almost 10 years I have been going to Tiree, I have never seen the island quite like I saw it last week. A full week of wall-towall sunshine, the hottest day since 1991, and unmatchable hospitality made it a week to remember.

My first thank you has to go to our good pal, Ian Smith, who picked us up, took us to the beautiful Reef Inn for dinner, and then hosted us in his house all week.

The handy thing about Ian’s house is that it happens to be right next door to his distillery – which made it particularly suitable accommodation for the type of week we had in mind.

Ian and his business partner Alain Campbell have built up something quite amazing with

Our Island Stories, the first film festival for young islanders in Scotland, is inviting submissions for its online showing on August 28, writes Sandy Neil.

The festival is seeking short films of up to three minutes in length from filmmakers aged 12-25. Submissions will open from August 2-14. Films must focus on life on a Scottish island, and can be in English, Gaelic or Scottish dialects.

'The project will support young people to make their films, find their voice and share their personal experiences of life on their islands,' the organisers said.

'The films can take a number of forms and filmmakers are encouraged to be creative and use various techniques. Filmmaking provides a unique and creative way for young people to be heard and to express what they want for their future, how to move forward and improve their lives, how to encourage others to stay on islands and attract others to move there.

'Films already created by young islanders from Islay, Arran, Lewis, Orkney, Shetland, South Uist, Colonsay, Eigg, Tiree and Mull the Isle of Tiree Distillery in West Hynish, and (as we sat out on the decking of their gin bar being served cocktails by Calum MacArthur) we could easily have been in the Caribbean.

The only noticeable difference was that the background music was 2/4 Marches rather than Reggae.

Thanks also to Ian’s mother, Margory, for inviting us into her neighbouring garden for a dram or two and absolutely no thanks to Ian’s brother Bernie who, when I was lying sunbathing on his paddle board in the bay, thought it would be funny to swim up and place two live crabs on my chest.

In the days that followed, we went out to Coll on Smithy’s boat for a wonderful meal in the Coll Hotel. We then came alongside Steptoe MacLean from Tobermory whilst he and his grandsons were fishing for mackerel off the Cairns of Coll. Whilst we were there, a pod of dolphins swam right across our bow.

We returned to a Tiree beach party with a cracking barbecue and were taken back out to sea on a Banana Boat being towed by Angus MacKinnon.

Afterwards, we warmed up round a bonfire whilst the moon shone down onto the ocean – as Archie Bear said – just as Calum Kennedy would have imagined it in The Moonlight on Bonnie Tiree.

A real highlight was the night we were kindly invited out to Duncan and Allison MacArthur’s yacht, the ReTyree. As I lay in a hammock, I asked the boys: 'If someone was to offer us the chance to be dropped anywhere in the whole world right now, what would you say?'

Their reply was unanimous: 'Just leave me exactly where I am.'

The festival is seeking short film submissions from Scottish islanders aged 12 - 25 to form its first programme.

during Our Island Stories workshops earlier this year cover a vast range of topics, from tourism to LGBTQ+ safe spaces, second homes to marine litter.

'To support young people to take their filmmaking skills to the next level, Our Island Voices has created a range of video tutorials, covering shooting with a mobile phone, composition tricks, editing, adding music, animation and more. The videos are all free to access and can be viewed at screenargyll.co.uk'

The project is delivered in partnership with Youth Scotland and the Scottish Island Federation, with Screen Argyll working with Youth Scotland to reach and support young people as part of the Young Islanders Challenge.

Jen Skinner at Screen Argyll said: 'We are so excited to be working with the Scottish Island Federation and Youth Scotland on this project, for the potential it has in reaching out to young people in our communities, connecting them through film and giving them a voice. We can’t wait to hear what they have to say!'