Highlands and Islands Climate Hub in running for top prize at ‘world leading’ Big Syn Film Festival
A Highland-made film aimed at inspiring people to take positive action to tackle climate change is up for an award at the world’s biggest sustainability film festival.
The team at the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub are delighted after their production - named Climate Action Highlands and Islands - was selected as a finalist at the Big Syn International Film Festival.
And they hope such an “incredibly exciting” and prominent awards success will help increase the chances that the film will be shown to leading decision makers whose policies will shape the world’s climate into the future.
The hub developed the film project and engaged Scottish environmental filmmaker and Celtic music producer, Cameron Mackay via a tender process. Cameron has a background in climate change research and sustainability engagement, which the team said made him the ideal candidate to bring the project to life.
Ten communities from Shetland to Lochaber were selected to share their stories on camera all different in approach but with the shared goal of taking community led climate action.
The project was born after the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub learned of “countless inspirational stories from the region” and thought a film which educated, inspired, and empowered viewers would become an invaluable asset to the hub and to the communities who would take part.
In September, the film celebrated its first anniversary and the hub were thrilled to receive the good news that it was selected as a finalist within the film festival shortly after. The festival is the world’s biggest sustainability film festival and the nomination is part of its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Hub manager, Joan Lawrie said: “For the film and the communities within it to be recognised at this level is incredibly exciting. The process of creating the film alongside Cameron was so inspiring and I knew even then that the end result would be incredible.
“My team and I wanted to create something which lets communities share their stories in their own words and ‘Climate Action Highlands and Islands’ does exactly that. It’s been a sensational first year since we launched at Eden Court [in Inverness] with the film being shown at various locations since. I can’t wait to go to the Big Syn Festival to represent the groups within the film and the wider hub membership
“I’m hopeful that this opportunity will give us greater power to have the film shown to decision makers so that the work of our vibrant Highlands and Islands communities can be understood and given the respect it deserves.”
Joan Lawrie, senior project officer Marion Reid, and filmmaker Cameron Mackay will travel to the Gala Awards on November 8 at Curzon in London, where the winners will be declared.
The event will be attended by members of the festival’s grand jury, partners and supporters such as the British Council, Directors UK, UN agencies such as the International Maritime Organisation, World Meteorological Organisation, grand jury alumni, BSIFF ambassadors, film, television, media, sustainability and policy leaders.
