Hebrides International Film Festival 2015 announces speaker for its main Industry Event  and  premiere of locally funded short film “Tide”

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis (5 Oct 2015) – HIFF 2015 organisers are pleased to announce that the documentary maker Runar Jarle Wiik from Norway will be the speaker at the main Industry Event, which takes place  both at 2pm, Thursday 15 October  at the MG Alba studios on Seaforth Rd, Stornoway and 4pm, Saturday 17 October, at St Peters Hall, Daliburgh, South Uist.

Runar, who is a film director as well as director of photography, graduated from London International Film School in 1988, and has since been involved in over a hundred film and television productions as either writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer or camera operator. In 1994 he made his feature film debut with The Bikini Season. Since then, he has mainly been accepting assignments as D.O.P. on documentaries around the world. His travels have mainly been with either just the Director, as the Filmmaker in an expedition, or alone. In recent years his interests and focus lie predominantly on documentaries that address the plight of indigenous peoples. No Word for Worry, which is being screened at HIFF 2015, has won Best Film – Audience Award, Eurodok 2014, Best Cinematography, Nordic Docs 2014, Best Feature Documentary, Grimstad 2014.
Runar’s presentation will focus on the  “Making of” (Behind the Scenes) on how “No Word for Worry” dealt with 5 different cultures on a tiny boat for 5 months (“Kindred Spirits”).  Runar will also give an overview of the film Industry in Norway and how film- makers work is supported there.

The film No Word for Worry was made as part of

Project Moken which was founded by a creative team of filmmakers and designers whose main objective is to inspire and generate enthusiasm about the Moken Sea Nomads, who live off the west coast of Burma on a vast archipelago that consists of about a thousand islands called The Mergui (Myeik). This is the ancient home and last refuge of The Moken People; Sea Nomads who still live as animistic  hunter-gatherers.
Through film, interactive productions, and eco tourism Project Moken works toward a sustainable future for the Moken lifestyle.  More information about Project Moken can be found atwww.projectmoken.com
Entry is free to industry professionals and members of the public but spaces are limited.  Tel: 01851 700475 to book.

HIFF organisers were really keen to support local and emerging  film makers so were very happy to premiere the short film

Tide – a first film made in Lewis by Gordon Napier, starring  Gary Lewis (13th October at 5:30pm An Lanntair in Stornoway).  Tide features the story of an ageing lobsterman from the Isle of Lewis who begins to question the value of his life in a changing world where he struggles to provide for his family, and where a man can vanish into the sea and not be missed. Tide was made possible by crowd funder Indiegogo – where the majority of the funds came from the generosity of the people of Lewis as well as sponsors such as the Gearannan Blackhouse Village, Caledonian MacBrayne, Seatrek, Carhire Hebrides and Citylink. Tide will also be screened at Castlebay Community Hall, Barra and St Peters Hall, Daliburgh, South Uist. Please visitwww.hebfilmfestival.org/programme for screenings times and tickets.

This year, HIFF 2015 will have two venues in Stornoway in order to screen the full programme of films they have on offer.  In addition to An Lanntair screening films the first three days of the festival, Stornoway Golf Club will play host to the last two (as well as the end of Festival party on the Saturday night).  HIFF has arranged for Film Mobile Scotland (www.filmmobilescotland.co.uk) to deliver a high-quality cinema experience in the Stornoway Golf Club. Film Mobile Scotland specialise in bringing high-quality, fully digital cinema to local communities throughout Scotland.
The full schedule of films can be found at http://www.hebfilmfestival.org/hiff-2015-programme. Tickets for all Stornoway venues can be purchased in person at An Lanntair, through their websitewww.lanntair.com or by phoning their box office 01851-708 480.  Tickets for the Rural Venues can be purchased at the door, online at http://www.hebfilmfestival.org/hiff-2015-tickets or on the phone at 01851-700475.

// //

Hebrides Today brings you the latest news from the Western Isles