World interest in film festival

By Steven McKenzie
Highlands and Islands reporter, BBC Scotland news website

The Victorian building housing the Ballerina Ballroom

A small Scottish film festival which will be staged in a former bingo hall has grabbed world-wide attention.

The event in Nairn is being funded by Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton, who came up with the idea.

Mark Cousins, one of the organisers of The Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams, said he had received inquiries from Shanghai and California.

As a result of one light-hearted suggestion by organisers, home baking will be accepted as an entry fee.

August's festival has been welcomed by organisers of other local arts events.

Roslin Murdoch, administrator for Nairn International Jazz Festival, which has had to scale down its programme this year because of funding issues, said it could eventually lead to a collaborative effort to promote the seaside town as a major arts centre.

The former Victorian resort near Inverness also has a book festival, whose guests this year included Scottish author Christopher Brookmyre.

We might be eating a lot of cakes, but it was important we got the right feel for the event, that it was familial Mark Cousins The chronicles of Nairn-ia

Mr Cousins, a former Edinburgh Film Festival director, said the hope was to hold the new festival annually.

He said: "Ninety-nine percent of the programme is now locked and we are at the stage of refitting the building.

"We want to keep a grungy feel and not have all the high technology and glitz of other film festivals."

A third of the tickets will be sold in advance. It is expected that they will be bought by film industry professionals in Scotland and London, but interest has also been expressed by a film-maker in China and others in the US.

Two-thirds of the tickets will be sold at the door.

Mr Cousins said: "Tilda and I liked the idea of £3 for adults and £2 for children for each film - making it just a fiver for a child and guardian."

The official announcement of the festival included the offer of free entry to anyone turning up with a tray of home bakes.

Mr Cousins said: "We are worried we might get overloaded with them, but if anyone should show up with buns I'm sure we'll let them in for free.

"We might be eating a lot of cakes, but it was important we got the right feel for the event, that it was familial."

Funding cuts

Running from 15 to 23 August, it will feature Scottish films alongside what is believed to be the first screening in the north of Scotland of the African film Hyenas.

Organisers of the jazz festival - established by businessman Ken Ramage 18 years ago - said the new event was a welcome addition to Nairn's arts calendar.

After enjoying major funding during 2007's Year of Highland culture, the jazz celebration has had to trim back to five days because of funding cuts.

Ms Murdoch said: "The jazz festival has a strong loyal following and people travel from all over Scotland and from England to come to the events."

She added: "If the film festival included a jazz-based film we'd be delighted to see it."