Film on Carrbridge’s famous porridge-making world champs set to create a stir
Will a new movie on Carrbridge’s famous world porridge making championship have the right ingredients for big screen success?
Acclaimed UK film distributor Dogwoof believe so - they have called it the feel-good documentary of the year.
The Oscar winning London-based documentary film company has just announced the UK release date for filmmaker Constantine Costi’s witty and beautifully shot new documentary The Golden Spurtle.
The movie will have its UK premiere at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 17 and then go on general release in UK cinemas on September 12.
The 75 minute film follows the fiercely competitive porridge-making world championships in the Strathspey village.
And the journey to the big screen all started from the small grain of an idea from Carrbridge’s community council to put the area on the tourist map.
For the last three decades, once a year, contenders from around the globe descend on Carrbridge to compete for the coveted title of World Porridge Champion.
The producers state amid intense rivalries, steaming bowls of porridge, and the lives of ‘charmingly eccentric locals we see a living legacy unfold’.
A Dogwoof spokesperson said: “Leading the way is self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle Charlie Miller, an acerbic wit, charisma and no-nonsense approach to all things porridge.
“A maker of spurtles, Charlie is an artist at heart.
“Since taking ill he is looking for a successor to take over as chieftain. But with no one in sight, Charlie is left to shoulder the burden of the championship's uncertain future.
“With striking cinematography illuminating both the film’s memorable characters and the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands, inspired by the work of photographers such as August Sander and Martin Parr, this is a visually ambitious delight for film and food fans alike.
“The film introduces us to a wonderful array of competitors from around the world - from Suffolk-based Queen of Porridge Lisa to seven-time finalist, London based, health food CEO Nick to young Australian chef Toby – things are about to get heated and stirred up.
“The Golden Spurtle is a celebration of community and the future of vibrant, close-knit societies.”
Sadly the man whose idea it was to have a world porridge competition, Roger Reed, passed away two weeks ago in Inverness.
‘The Golden Spurtle’ is directed by Constantine Cosi (A Delicate Fire) with cinematography by Dimitri Zaunders.
It is produced by Rebecca Lamond (Friends and Strangers) and co-produced by John Archer (My Old School, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock).
To date, London-based Dogwoof has released 37 Oscar-nominated documentaries including seven winners alongside five BAFTA-winning films.
Notable titles include 2025’s Oscar-winning ‘No Other Land’, 2024 Oscar and BAFTA winning 20 Days in Mariupol, the 2023 Oscar and BAFTA-winning Navalny, the Oscar and BAFTA-winning Free Solo, the BAFTA-nominated Apollo 11, and the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated Fire of Love and All That Breathes.
Recent Dogwoof's productions include Every Little Thing (Sundance 2024), McEnroe (Showtime and NBC Universal), The Lost Leonardo (Sony Pictures Classics), Citizen Ashe (Telluride 2021), Copa 71 (TIFF 2023), and Playing with Sharks (Sundance 2021, National Geographic).
Some words in praise of the new film…
“A film to nourish the soul… a deftly constructed crowd-pleaser” Screen
“A pleasure to watch… as wholesome and nourishing as its oat-stirring subjects” The Guardian