Congratulations to Iain MacColl, a true ambassador for the Screen Machine !

It is amazing to see the work of the Screen Machine being recognised by BAFTA, and all the hard work that not just myself, but everyone at Screen Machine has put in over the last 21 years. I very much look forward to attending the Film Awards ceremony later this week.

Iain MacColl, The Screen Machine Senior Operator has been named as one of two winners of BAFTA and EE's inaugural 'For the Love of Film' competition.

People across the UK were encouraged to submit applications on behalf of friends or family who they felt should be recognised for their contribution to film. Hundreds of applications and testimonials were received and considered by a panel of industry experts including Edith Bowman and BBC Radio 1’s Ali Plumb, and chaired by Andrew Orr from the BAFTA film committee.

Andrew Orr of the BAFTA film committee said: “Iain stood out due to his long service and the wide-reaching impact of Screen Machine which has ensured that the cinematic experience is available to communities across the Highlands and Islands.“

Iain MacColl is the Senior Operator of the Screen Machine, the UK’s only fulltime, self-contained mobile cinema, serving over 40 communities across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Iain has been with the service since it was launched in 1998, and his total dedication has ensured that the Screen Machine continues to visit many of Scotland’s smallest and hardest to reach communities, including some 20 islands across the Hebrides and Orkney, bringing the latest blockbusters and arthouse films, projected to the highest technical standards. The majority of Screen Machine’s funding is from Creative Scotland.

The Screen Machine Operators do everything on the ground : drive the Machine to its location, set it up (the trailer expands to become a comfortable 80 seat auditorium), sell the tickets, welcome the audience, project the films, then close up and move on to the next location. Increasingly the Operators are also delivering special events: for Into Film school clubs, for those living with dementia, and working with archive and artists’ films.

In 2018, its 20th anniversary year, for the first time the Screen Machine’s annual audience numbers passed the 30,000 mark. The touring circuit continues to expand, reaching for the first time in 2018 the island of Jura, and Bunessan in the South of Mull. Over the years Iain has taken the Machine to the G8 summit at Gleneagles; Bosnia, twice, to entertain the troops and welcomed the children of parents who, as children themselves, first came to the Screen Machine nearly 20 years before.

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration.

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Source and photo credits : BAFTA and The Screen Machine