Oscar actress inspires cinema bid

Tilda Swinton has staged two festivals in Nairn

Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton has been the inspiration behind a new group's bid to reopen the first cinema in a Highlands town since the 1970s.

The actress co-organised two film festivals that have featured in Nairn in the past two years. She also has a home in the town.

Cinema Nairn said her events suggested there was local demand for a new venue.

It will screen classic films in the town's community centre on 29 November to gauge support for its plan.

The Wizard of Oz, The Magnificent Seven and Highlands film I Know Where I'm Going will be shown.

Nairn was a venue for this summer's A Pilgrimage, a festival involving the Highlands' Screen Machine mobile cinema and organised by Swinton and Mark Cousins.

In 2008, the pair staged the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams festival in the town's former bingo hall.

'Deserves screenings'

Sue Halliday, of Cinema Nairn, said: "The recent festivals Nairn has enjoyed, thanks to Tilda and her enthusiasm for film, have highlighted the fact that people would regularly go to the pictures if there was a cinema in Nairn.

"As a result, a bunch of us have been inspired to put in a lot of effort and try to start something wonderful."

She added: "We really feel Nairn deserves and can support regular film screenings."

Meanwhile, the programme for next month's Cromarty Film Festival has been announced.

Guests include Anthony Farquhar Smith who was lead animator on The Fantastic Mr Fox, which featured the voice of George Clooney.

Also attending will be Paul McGuigan the Scottish director of Lucky Number Slevin which starred Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis and Josh Hartnett.

Last year, the festival in Cromarty claimed to have run the world's smallest drive-in cinema on a car ferry.

The 1950s film, The Maggie, was shown on the ferry which runs between Cromarty and Nigg in the Highlands.

Tickets for only four passengers were offered.