Organisers of the first Wild Film Festival Scotland, held in Dumfries and Galloway last weekend have thanked the public for making the event a big success.
The event involved a packed weekend of 30 films (many of them award winners), 20 speakers, two photographic exhibtions, an art installation, live music and a Wild Film Fayre. They took place at venues across Dumfries from 24-26 March.
Special guests included Iolo Williams of Springwatch, Simon King ( Main Image )from Big Cat Diary and Sacha Dench, the human swan, who recently flew 4,500 miles in a motorised paraglider on an expedition to help save the endangered Bewick’s swan.
Iolo said: “It’s such a fantastic idea, and really refreshing, to have a festival like this somewhere outside a big city. It’s a chance to get out and enjoy the countryside as well as seeing films and hearing speakers.
“And there’s so much in Dumfries and Galloway, with the Solway Firth and all the great reserves there are here. It’s also within easy reach of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Carlisle, Newcastle and so many other places.”
Iolo is just preparing for the next series of Springwatch and will soon be out filming Natterjack toads and Capercaillie.
Final figures are still being collated but organisers say that the total tally for all paid for and free events is a little over 2,506. Some 1,500 attended events over the core weekend with around 1,000 having so far been to see the ongoing British Wildlife Photography Award exhibition at Gracefield.
Sid Ambrose, festival organiser, said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend – the speakers, films and events were great and even the weather was wonderful. It was a great way to showcase this beautiful part of Scotland at its very best.
“This was the first event of its kind in Scotland and we’d really like to thank everyone who took part, including the public who came along to enjoy the events and all the volunteers, sponsors and supporters who made it happen.”
Ed Forrest, from the Southern Uplands Partnership which is behind the festival, said: “We have had so much positive feedback from this event – it has been quite remarkable and we very much hope this will the first of many Wild Film Festival Scotlands.”
- Wild Film Festival Scotland is being made possible due to a series of partnerships. Our funders and supporters include the Rural Dumfries and Galloway LEADER Programme, Dumfries and Galloway Council and The Hollywood Trust, The Scottish Rural Development Programme and E-on.
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