‘A perfect place to build a film community’: a tour of Scotland’s island movie clubs

Think of a film festival and images of celebrities, paparazzi and throngs of tourists might spring to mind, but one festival on a Hebridean island does things a little differently. The Sea Change film festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, has been attracting the public and the film industry to Tiree (population about 650) in the Inner Hebrides for the past five years.

It’s Scotland’s only annual festival dedicated to celebrating women through film, and hosts screenings, workshops and talks, as well as beach walks, pilates classes and swimming sessions. The community centre becomes the main cinema and an after-party might mean a few pints at a pop-up bar rather than a glitzy hotel.

Jen Skinner, from Screen Argyll, which launched the festival, says the idea grew out of film clubs on Tiree and neighbouring islands. “Our community cinema started with a projector in the cattle market: you needed a broom to turn it on,” she says. However, with support from Into Film and BFI Neighbourhood they were able to start programming films and connecting with other community cinemas. The film festival became possible. With the closest cinema on the mainland a three-day trip from Tiree, this is a cultural service for locals and visitors alike.

As well as the main festival, several islands hold pop-up screenings as part of the programme. So, on my way to Tiree (where I’ll be giving a talk about my job as a film critic), I do some island-hopping to sample the neighbours’ community cinema offerings.

From Glasgow it’s a scenic railway trip to Oban and a 40-minute drive to the tiny island of Seil, accessed from the mainland via Clachan Bridge. It’s unseasonably gorgeous weather, great for a short ramble over the green hills for a pint at the Tigh an Truish Inn, where dogs almost outnumber locals.

My first screening is in the Seil Island community hall in Ellenabeich, a seaside village under black cliffs in the west of the island. There are handmade signs around advertising Alice Rohrwacher’s enigmatic Italian drama La Chimera and it’s a BYO booze affair, with crisps from the tuck shop. Screenings throughout the year are also listed on its Facebook page, Seil Community Cinema.

The community cinema makes locals feel more connected – according to Rachel Tierney, who is introducing the film – and with themes that include history, community and isolation, La Chimera is a suitable choice. For me, as a visitor, it’s a good way to connect with Seil’s residents, who welcome me warmly. Afterwards, there’s time for excellent oysters with views to match at The Oyster Bar & Restaurant.

My next stop is Mull, no stranger to tourists and an hour’s ferry crossing from Oban, after a bus ride from Seil. The 95 bus from Craignure takes us on a scenic route to colourful Tobermory (location for the BBC kids’ show Balamory, which making a comeback in 2026). I stroll around the port, popping into cute shops and the charming, informative Mull Museum (free).

A little further up the hill, the Western Isles Hotel is an old-fashioned place with sea views – and the venue for a £5 screening of To See Ourselves, Jane McAllister’s Scottish referendum documentary about her activist father. The event has attracted a mix of customers, some still sporting YES badges, in support of Scottish independence. Mull Film Club member Nina Pope – an artist and film-maker – welcomes the group before we sit on comfy sofas to watch the doc. Mull’s regular screenings include classics and contemporary films – all listed on its Facebook page.

There’s no direct ferry from Mull to my penultimate stopover, so it’s back to Oban before the boat to Coll (one shop, a post office, a restaurant, plentiful walks and bike hire). It already has charm to spare, but spotting dolphins and a supermoon make dinner at Coll Hotel even more magical. I spend the night across the road at Coll Bunkhouse (a hostel with private rooms from £80), ideally placed for the screening at An Cridhe, the community centre next door.

Screen Coll is a new group of three organisers who, like everyone on the smaller isles, seem to have several other voluntary jobs – you might find someone from the coastguard serving you at the restaurant and then checking you in for the film. A few folk have been placing bets on how many people will turn up for the screening, given the sunny weather – guesses range from 15 to 27. I’m happy to introduce a screening of Charlotte Regan’s drama Scrapper to a final total of 18. It’s a chance to chat to locals and hear their stories. This is also what has attracted Steven and Diana, who heard about the screening while on holiday on Coll. They tell me they love independent British films, and meeting locals, so jumped at the chance to come along.

The ferry to Coll also stops at Tiree, so the next morning we’re on the waves for the Sea Change film festival 2024, where women’s workshops are already in full swing. There are plenty of female-directed films to choose from, including Jeanie Finlay’s thought-provoking doc Your Fat Friend, and the drama Girls Will Be Girls, whose breakout star, Preeti Panigrahi, has come all the way from India. Between screenings and workshops there’s plenty to do on tranquil Tiree. It’s popular with swimmers, birdwatchers and campers, and there’s a handful of art galleries and ancient sites, too.

Related: My passionate love affair with Scotland’s largest island

Getting stuck in feels very much in the spirit of Sea Change and its neighbouring film clubs, who have charmed me with their innovation and spirit of inclusion. Skinner says Tiree is “a perfect place to build a film community”. It’s certainly an invigorating place for a film-lover to get fresh inspiration – not to mention a splash of warm, friendly island life. If you’re thinking of visiting the isles, timing it with the festival or screenings will allow extra insight into the local community.

Anna Smith is a film critic and host of the Girls On Film podcast. The Sea Change film festival runs from 20-22 September: standard pass £50, individual tickets available. The trip was provided by Screen Argyll, with train travel on Avanti West Coast to Glasgow and accommodation at House of Gods, Glasgow, which has doubles from £99 B&B. Book ferries via Calmac