‘My Favourite Film’ Festival line-up unveiled

A Highland town will welcome Rab C Nesbitt star Gregor Fisher as the 12th annual Cromarty ‘My Favourite Film’ Festival programme was unveiled.

Gregor and other guests will introduce the movies that they love.

Everywhere from lighthouses to old breweries, via buoy stores and living rooms will turn into cinemas as one of the UK’s most unique film festivals takes place from Friday 30 November to Sunday 2 December

The full programme has been announced for the 12th annual Cromarty ‘My Favourite Film’ Festival. From 30 November to 2 December, the beautiful Black Isle town will welcome a host of famous faces as they introduce the movies that mean that mean the most to them.

The 2018 guests will include renowned poet and author Jackie Kay introducing film noir classic Double Indemnity and a celebration of film and poetry in the work of Orcadian filmmaker Margaret Tait; Gregor Fisher presenting gritty buddy flick Midnight Cowboy and a special screening of the legendary Holiday episode of Rab C Nesbitt, and documentary maker Molly Dineen introducing a screening of her new documentary about Brixton record shop owner Being Blacker.

An audience at a previous Cromarty Film Festival

Academy Award-nominated director Mike Radford will introduce his favourite film, energetic Brazilian drama City of God; award-winning filmmaker and journalist Callum Macrae discusses his hard-hitting documentary The Ballymurphy Precedent and young Scottish director John MacPhail presents his cult-hit-in-the-making Christmas zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse.

Cromarty Lighthouse will turn into a dazzling outdoor cinema screen for opening night as it hosts a night of contemporary animation selected by Glasgow Short Film Festival, with roaring braziers and drams of whisky.

Other pop-up movie houses include classic comedies Local Hero and The Dish around the open fire at the beachfront Slaughterhouse Coffee; Cromarty’s very own local hero Ben Leyshon opening up his living room for an intimate screening of the pitch-black Spanish comedy Wild Tales and Victoria Hall hosting a late-night showing of South Korean zombie thriller Train to Busan.

The town’s Old Brewery will form the festival’s informal hub, whilst Scotland’s mobile cinema The Screen Machine rolls into town for the whole weekend with family-friendly showings of recent blockbusters Incredibles 2 and First Man.

The film-loving Highland town is celebrating receiving planning permission and initial funding to build a 35 seater permanent cinema in the town; the project will begin building in January 2019.

Gregor Fisher

Previous festival guests have included newscaster Jon Snow, politician Tony Benn, directors Bill Forsyth, David Mackenzie, Michael Caton Jones and Kevin Macdonald, Still Game’s Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill and musician Edwyn Collins.

The Cromarty Film Festival team said: ‘After a feverish few months of planning the Cromarty Film Festival are excited to be launching another My Favourite Film Festival. This is our twelfth year where in the first weekend of December we take over the wonderful town of Cromarty for a long weekend of films, workshops, events , and fun.

‘As usual an interesting mix of folk bringing along their favourite films to screen and share with our film friendly audience. This small film festival punches well above it’s weight and is catching the imagination of film fans all over Scotland.

‘It is the perfect setting to catch up with friends, meet film practitioners, film stars and technicians up real close.’

Cromarty Film Festival 2018 is funded by Creative Scotland, and the National Lottery, with support from The Cromarty Trust, Regional Screen Scotland, University of Aberdeen, Glasgow Short Film Festival and Eden Court, Inverness. Tickets are on sale from tickets are on sale at Ardyne House, Cromarty on Saturday 17 November and from Eden Court Box Office from 18-28 November, and from the Festival Hub from 30 November till 2 December.