Sea Change: The Tiree festival spotlighting female filmmakers

The Hebridean island of Tiree has become the unlikely home to Scotland’s only annual film festival dedicated to female filmmaking. Titled Sea Change, the four-day event returns this September for its second year to host a weekend of films, documentaries and animation – all directed by women – alongside workshops and family activities. Artistic director Jen Skinner lives and works on Tiree year-round and was inspired to programme a film festival on this far-flung island in 2017. “​​There was a new energy and interest [in films made by women] following #MeToo and lots of brilliant projects trying to develop new audiences and support female filmmakers,” Skinner recalls. “Tiree seemed like a great place to bring people together, reflect and share.”

Sharing is very much the ethos of the festival. “My hopes for Sea Change are to inspire, to help people to make new connections from different stages in their careers from production, distribution and exhibition, bringing them to Tiree to learn, share, explore, reflect and ultimately leave rejuvenated, refocused and a little bit changed!” As well as being an annual hub for women filmmakers, Skinner says it's vital that the festival connects to people on the island too. “It is important to me that the community of Tiree benefits from these conversations and has the opportunity to share in the dialogue and see some great films, speakers and events."

One programme highlight this year is a celebration of 100 years of 16mm film. “I am really looking forward to bringing the 16mm artists together and seeing their work,” says Skinner. Among those filmmakers will be Julia Parks, who’s presenting her film Seaweed, which explores the folklore, ecology, and history of seaweed in north Scotland, and Mairéad McClean, who will introduce her short 16mm films (including some shot on Uist) and lead a masterclass on 16mm filmmaking. There’ll also be hands-on workshops on working with 16mm film for both adults and families from artists Joanna Byrne and Lucy Bergman. Other guests heading to Tiree include Carol Morley, who brings her bittersweet road movie Typist Artist Pirate King, and Estonian director Anna Hints with her documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. “I met Anna Hints in Finland and she has a brilliant energy, which comes across in her film,” says Skinner. 

As big a draw as the movies is the island itself. "Our programme reflects the culture and landscape of the island too," says Skinner, "with sea-themed films, an exploration of sense of place, our links to Ireland and Irish Gaelic as well as those with Nova Scotia." And unlike most film festivals, Sea Change will be encouraging audiences to step outside the comforts of the cinema to take inspiration from this stunning location. Among the extracurricular activities are morning swims, shore walks, and a big beach clean. “These elements give audiences the opportunity to explore the island in different ways,” says Skinner, “and to share ideas and feel more connected, with each other and with the natural world.”

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Sea Change, various venues, Tiree, 22-24 Sep; festival passes, £50-70

For more on Scotland's independent film scene, pick up a copy of The Skinny and Film Hub Scotland's Indie Cinema Guide, available at venues across Scotland...