Major boost for mobile cinema - £500,000 funding to Screen Machine

10th May 2025

Funding has been announced enabling an order to be placed for a new Screen Machine mobile cinema serving rural communities across Scotland.

The £500,000 Scottish Government grant allows Regional Screen Scotland (RSS) to order a new vehicle to take films to 44 locations in areas including the Highlands and Islands, Moray and North Ayrshire.

After the previous 80-seat vehicle was retired in 2023 following 18 years and 250,000 miles on the road, RSS started fundraising for a permanent replacement costing £1.7 million. A leased vehicle is currently continuing the service until April 2026.

The new machine will be energy efficient with the ability to charge via solar panels and battery packs, instead of a diesel generator.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

"The Screen Machine service is a hugely important asset, bringing cinema to the doorsteps of people in many rural and island communities.

"It has proved its worth over 26 years, providing entertainment that town and city residents take for granted. In doing so it enriches people's lives and plays a part in tackling rural depopulation.

“This grant allows Regional Screen Scotland to order a new, bespoke vehicle able to use Scotland's ferry network and negotiate our rural roads. I wish the organisation well as it continues efforts to reach its fundraising target."

Regional Screen Scotland interim Chief Executive Simon Drysdale said:

"This generous grant from the Scottish Government completely transforms our fundraising campaign to raise the money required to build a new Screen Machine. We can now plan with greater confidence for a service that will be secured into the 2040s.

“Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported our campaign so far, from Screen Scotland to the Arran Trust, customers of the Newtonmore Grill, letter-writing children in Barra and many, many more."

The grant for the Screen Machine comes from the Scottish Government’s Gaelic Capital Fund, which supports developments of benefit to Gaelic-speaking communities.

Regional Screen Scotland launched its public fundraising campaign in September 2024. Energy firm SSEN Transmission has already announced it will give £350,000 from its Regional Community Benefit Fund. Further support has come from actors Alan Cumming and Dame Judi Dench and fundraising continues.

Around 180,000 tickets have been sold in Highland, Argyll & Bute, Western Isles, Moray, North Ayrshire, Aberdeenshire and Orkney over the last 10 years. In 2024-25 the service showed 51 films at 450 screenings at which it employed a total of 57 local ushers.