Montrose host Scotland's first climate-focused film festival

LandxSea takes place this weekend at Montrose Playhouse

Montrose Playhouse
Author: Lucy ScarlettPublished 16th Sep 2023

The film festival showcases our relationship with the land and sea in a thought provoking and engaging way.

Over the weekend the founders ask the big questions about the planet through the screening of climate-focused films.

Paving the way

Award-winning filmmaker Anthony Baxter is a co-founder of the festival, he said: "There's something really powerful about seeing films in a community space.

"It's different to watching a film on Netflix.

"If you see it in a cinema with a group of people and can feel the atmosphere and then continue the conversation afterwards."

A climate cafe has been set up in the Montrose Playhouse to allow for discussion after the screenings and to give people the opportunity to delve into the deeper messages.

There will also be a chance to engage with guest speakers as well a range of activities on offer for all ages.

Baxter hopes that this weekend will pave the way for more climate film festivals to happen nationally.

"I really hope that this first film festival will open the doors for other towns and villages to hold similar events.

"It would be a terrific thing if we were able to roll it out to other communities who would like to stage their own Land by Sea film festival in the future."

Co-founder, activist and producer, Rachel Caplan ran the San Francisco Green Film Festival giving her a huge amount of experience running climate-focused events.

A still from one of the films

A range of feature documentaries will be screened over the three days.

This includes an exploration of the relationship between Scotland's forests and its Atlantic salmon population, narrated by Peter Capaldi.

"Climate as an issue can feel so overwhelming to people of all ages," Baxter added.

"But when you go and see a film that focuses on a particular aspect, it breaks down that massive issue and makes it accessible."

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