The Screen Machine – only smaller

Think of the Screen Machine and you imagine an 80-seat, air conditioned mobile cinema in the form of a heavy goods vehicle.

For the past 21 years-plus the Screen Machine has toured remote and rural areas of Scotland, including Argyll and Bute, bringing the latest films to audiences far from multiplexes.

Pandemic lockdown put a stop to all that, but now Regional Screen Scotland, which owns and operates the Screen Machine, has launched a new video on-demand streaming service – Small Screen Machine.

Customers can enjoy more of the kinds of films they would see on the Screen Machine without waiting for a visit and in the comfort of their own home.

The service has launched with 35 films, split into five categories: Screen Machine Selects; Beyond Screen Machine; Family; Documentaries; and Films We Love.

Robert Livingston, director of Regional Screen Scotland, said: ‘Lockdown has caused a revolution in the way that films are viewed.

‘We know that many of our customers are not only enjoying films free on terrestrial television, but also on streaming platforms.

‘Now, with Small Screen Machine, we have the opportunity to launch our own video on-demand platform, with films selected specifically for the Screen Machine audience, by the team that has been choosing films for more than 20 years.

‘What’s more, the service is available throughout the UK so customers can enjoy a little bit of Screen Machine magic whether they are in Gairloch or Glasgow, Durness or Dundee, Liniclate or London.’

And – all being well – it is hoped that the Screen Machine itself will be back on the road shortly after May 17.