Our Impact

 

Film has the power to spark change — and at LandxSea, we use it to do just that.

Since launching in 2023, Montrose LandxSea Film Fest has grown into a dynamic platform for environmental education, action, and creativity. We harness the power of film to inspire audiences, spotlight urgent issues, and build community — one screening, conversation, and splash in the sea at a time.

Whether we’re welcoming primary school pupils for their first Q&A, platforming bold international premieres, or connecting audiences to grassroots climate organisations, we believe storytelling can make a real difference.

Here’s how we’re measuring that difference — and where we’re headed next.

2024 Festival Wrap Report [PDF]

2024 Festival at-a-glance

From 13–15 September 2024, our second annual festival turned Montrose into a hub for ideas, action, and cinematic brilliance. Here’s what we achieved:

Showcased 25 exceptional films from 12 countries over 3 days.

Presented 3 World, 5 UK, and 7 Scottish Premieres.

Welcomed 30 filmmakers and guest speakers.

 

Attracted 1,650+ attendees — a 26% audience growth from 2023

84% average screening capacity.

Offered over 1/3 of events for free, engaging 600+ attendees.

Earned an impressive 88% audience film rating of excellent or very good.

98% of attendees reported feeling inspired to take action after attending a festival programme.

Achieved over 2.5 million media impressions

Partnered with 25+ arts and environmental organisations.

What People Are Saying

“Film festivals, such as LandxSea, play an important part in Scotland’s screen industry success story by promoting domestic productions, supporting talent development, showcasing high-quality films and bringing important issues to the fore, such as sustainability and the environmental challenges that we face.

It is encouraging to read the scope of your film festival in sharing environmental programming with audiences, connecting experts on the most pressing environmental issues, inspiring audiences to help bring positive change to our communities and environment.

I appreciate the dual benefits the film festival will bring, both in cultural impacts, as well as contributing to our goal to achieve net zero.”

~ Angus Robertson MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture

See More: Press Coverage | Testimonials | Green Pledges

Audience at LandxSea Film Fest 2023

How We Measure Impact: Our Programmes

At LandxSea, we believe a film festival can be more than just a weekend at the cinema.

We’re building a platform where cinematic excellence meets environmental action — where stories spark change, communities connect, and ideas ripple far beyond the screen.

Our impact is driven by four core programmes, each designed to reach different audiences and create meaningful, measurable outcomes:

  1. Curated Film Programme: World-class environmental films that spark conversation, connection, and reflection.
    We engage local and global audiences through powerful storytelling that opens up dialogue around sustainability, climate challenges, and bold solutions.
  2. Green Connect Programme: From inspiration to action.
    This strand links audiences with experts, activists, and organisations — providing real tools and next steps through Q&As, panels, resource-sharing, and hands-on events.
  3. Filmmaker Development Programme: Supporting the storytellers who spark change.
    We create opportunities for filmmakers to connect with audiences, build networks, showcase new work, and deepen the social impact of their films.
  4. Youth Programme: Inspiring the next generation of climate leaders and storytellers.
    Through screenings, workshops, and hands-on projects, we engage young people in environmental thinking and creative expression.

Below, you’ll find a detailed look at each programme — including progress towards our impact goals and plans for the future.

We also measure our environmental footprint as we go — because walking the talk on sustainability matters. But we know this is just the beginning. LandxSea is always growing, evolving, and learning — and we’d love to hear from you as we shape what comes next. Drop us a note →

1. Curated Film Programme

World-class environmental films that spark conversation, connection, and reflection.

 

At the heart of LandxSea is a commitment to extraordinary storytelling. Our curated film programme invites audiences into vivid, urgent, and hopeful worlds — using cinema to explore our planet’s most pressing environmental issues and celebrate the people working toward solutions.

We bring together local voices and global perspectives to spark dialogue, deepen understanding, and inspire action.

What We Do
  • Annual Film Festival

Our flagship event, the Montrose LandxSea Film Fest, showcases a diverse selection international environmental films, alongside filmmaker Q&As, expert panels, and community-led events. Hosted each September at the community-owned Montrose Playhouse, the festival also features outdoor happenings like our Eco Fair and the ever-popular Beach Dook.

Our Community Ticket Fund ensures broad access, with free and subsidised tickets available to youth groups, local residents, and people who might otherwise face barriers to participation.

  • Year-Round Screenings

Beyond the festival, we continue to connect with our community through LandxSea Monthly — a regular programme of screenings and discussions, designed to keep environmental issues in the spotlight all year long.

Curated Film Programme Impact Goals
  • After attending LandxSea events, audiences are more aware of environmental stories — and more engaged with the filmmakers and issues behind them.
Our Progress

Since launching in September 2023, LandxSea has produced 35 environmental film events, screened 55 films, and welcomed 47 guest filmmakers and environmental leaders. These events have engaged over 3,000 Montrose and Angus residents. 

At the 2024 Festival:
  • Screened 25 films from 12 countries
  • Hosted 30 filmmakers and special guests
  • 56% of films were directed by women, reflecting our commitment to gender parity. 
  • Curated a range of topics including clean energy, wildlife conservations, and sustainable aquaculture.
  • Delivered 164 free tickets through our Community Ticket Fund.
  • Offered free entry to 1/3 of festival events, including the Coastal Erosion Summit, Eco Fair, Pop-Up Cinema, and Beach Dook, drawing over 600 participants.

We’re building a strong, engaged local audience that’s curious, committed, and ready to take the next step — whether that’s starting a conversation, making a pledge, or launching a project of their own.

For more insights from the 2024 Audience Survey, see the 2024 Festival Wrap Report.

Eco Fair on the Mall

2. Green Connect Programme

From inspiration to action.

 

At LandxSea, films don’t just inform — they ignite.

Our Green Connect Programme bridges the gap between inspiration and action, giving audiences clear next steps to make a difference in their communities and beyond.

At every event, we work with filmmakers, activists, and local partners to ask: What can we do about this? The result is a growing ecosystem of conversations, collaborations, and real-world change — grounded in the environmental realities of Montrose and Angus, and connected to global challenges.

What We Do
  • Facilitate talks, panels, and in-depth Q&As with experts and campaigners.
  • Share actionable resources through our Take Action! community network.
  • Provide entry points for deeper learning and participation — from policy to peat bogs.
  • Invite audience commitments through our Green Pledge and Green Speak Out initiatives (on postcards, online, or in person)
Green Connect Programme Impact Goals
  • After a LandxSea event, audiences feel more connected to the issues, more motivated to act — and more likely to do something about it. They are:
    • More aware of how environmental issues impact Montrose, Angus, and their own lives.
    • Taking steps to learn, share, and advocate for change.
    • Engaging in new behaviours — from greener lifestyles to volunteering or civic action.
Our Progress

In 2024:

  • 98% of attendees reported feeling inspired to take action after a LandxSea event.
  • Many committed to adopting new sustainable practices, such as making eco-friendly purchases, engaging with community partners, or advocating through local government.
  • Partnered with 20+ community organisations across five key environmental themes.
  • Hosted the Eco Fair, featuring 10 local businesses, organisations, and government agencies, offering practical tools and connections.
  • Audiences made their voices head through Green Pledge and Green Speak Out, — sharing goals like reducing single-use plastics, joining local campaigns, and switching to plan-based meals.
2024 Partnership Spotlights

LandxSea’s impact is built on collaboration. These standout partners helped bring big ideas down to earth in 2024:

Together, these partners — and many more — help turn our screenings into springboards for action. Because great films don’t end at the credits. They begin something.

Nishtha Jain at LandxSea Film Fest 2023

3. Filmmaker Development Programme

Supporting the storytellers who spark change.

 

At LandxSea, we know stories don’t just reflect the world — they shape it.

That’s why we’re committed to supporting environmental filmmakers at every stage, helping them amplify their impact, grow their networks, and bring bold new perspectives to the screen.

From spotlighting new works to hosting industry events and launching awards, we’re building a space where artists and advocates connect, collaborate, and thrive.

What We Do
  • Showcase powerful new films — often for the first time in the UK or Scotland
  • Provide platforms for emerging voices, especially from underrepresented communities
  • Create meaningful moments of connection between filmmakers and audiences
  • Celebrate excellence through the LandxSea Awards, launched in 2024
  • Coming in 2025:
    • First Cut: Works-in-Progress — a platform for in-development environmental films
    • Impact Film — a new discussion series exploring the role of storytelling in social and environmental change

We’re also proud to be part of the international Green Film Network, connecting our filmmakers with a global community of festivals, peers, and partners.

Filmmaker Development Programme Impact Goals
  • After participating in a LandxSea event, filmmakers are more connected — to audiences, to the region, and to a wider network of opportunities.
Our Progress

Since September 2023, LandxSea has supported 58 filmmakers from across Scotland and around the world, showcasing their work in Montrose and creating opportunities for direct audience engagement, press exposure, and partner connections. We've received enthusiastic feedback from filmmakers about the warm welcome, thoughtful programming, and real impact of the festival

At the 2024 Festival:
  • Presented 3 World Premieres, 5 UK Premieres, and 7 Scottish Premieres.
  • Gave a platform to 5 first-time directors, highlighting new and diverse voices.
  • Launched two new awards:
    • North Light Award — a £500 juried prize honouring excellent in Scottish environmental filmmaking.
    • Audience Award — celebrating crowd-favourites chosen by festival-goers.

Whether it’s their first screening or their fiftieth, we want filmmakers to leave LandxSea feeling seen, supported, and inspired to keep telling stories that matter.

Moving Images Caravan Cinema

4. Youth Programme

Inspiring the next generation of climate leaders and storytellers.

 

The future belongs to young people — and LandxSea is here to help them shape it.

Our Youth Programme introduces children and teens to environmental storytelling in creative, accessible ways. From screenings and Q&As to youth-made films and free ticketing initiatives, we’re opening up space for young changemakers to learn, imagine, and lead.

Whether it's a first festival visit or a first short film, we want every young person who engages with LandxSea to feel empowered, informed, and part of something bigger.

What We Do
  • Host tailored Schools at the Festival screenings with post-film Q&As.
  • Partner with local educators and environmental experts to align events with climate literacy goals.
  • Run a Youth Ticket Fund to remove financial barriers to participation.
  • Offer free submissions to Young Filmmakers — giving emerging creators a platform to share their stories.
  • Curate family-friendly screenings through our Kids' Club strand
Youth Programme Impact Goals
  • After engaging with LandxSea, young people feel more informed, inspired, and connected — to film, to the environment, and to their community. They are:
    • More aware of how cinema can be a tool for environmental learning
    • Better informed about local and global environmental issues
    • More connected to peers, artists, and partners working in their area
    • Encouraged to tell their own stories and explore creative activism
Our Progress

In 2024, our first year of youth programming, we:

  • Distributed 160+ free tickets to under-18s across festival screenings.
  • Welcomed 115 pupils from six local primary and secondary schools to our inaugural Schools Programme, with screenings of Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story and X Trillion.
  • Delivered lively Q&As with filmmakers, protagonists, and local experts — sparking great questions and big ideas.
  • Continued our Kids' Club screenings with Song of the Sea, introducing family audiences to environmental themes through beautiful animation.

Our Youth Programme is still growing — and we’re committed to expanding it in 2025 and beyond. Because when we support young people to engage with storytelling, nature, and each other, the ripple effects go far beyond the cinema.

Fest Crew on the Montrose Basin

Sustainability in Practice

Walking the Talk.

 

At LandxSea, sustainability isn’t just something we screen — it’s something we live.

From the way we print our programmes to how our guests travel to Montrose, we’re constantly working to reduce our environmental footprint and model better practices for events, partners, and audiences alike.

These are the choices we make to keep our carbon impact low and our values front and centre:

  • Zero Waste Initiatives: Prioritising reusable, recyclable, sustainable, or biodegradable materials at all events.
  • Local Sourcing: Partnering with local businesses to minimise transport emissions.
  • Food & Drink: Supporting local caterers, promoting plant-based options, and actively reducing food waste.
  • Conscious Travel: Encouraging low- or zero-carbon travel for audiences, filmmakers, and guest speakers.

We know there’s always more we can do — and each year, we review and improve our sustainability practices across the board.

For metrics, please visit our Sustainability page.

Audience at the LandxSea Film Fest 2023

Future Goals

What’s Next for LandxSea.

 

We’re just getting started.

As LandxSea grows, so does our ambition. Our future goals are grounded in our values — creativity, community, sustainability — and shaped by what we’ve learned from our partners, audiences, and the incredible artists we work with.

Here’s what’s on the horizon:

  • First Cut: Works-in-Progress (2025 Launch)

    A brand new platform for emerging environmental filmmakers to showcase, workshop, and develop their projects-in-progress. This programme will nurture early-career voices and help shape impactful storytelling from the ground up.

  • Impact Film Series (2025 Launch)

    A thought-provoking series of events exploring how documentaries drive social and environmental change — on screen, in communities, and in policy. Expect bold films, big questions, and inspiring guests.

  • Expanded Youth Programming

    We’re building on the success of our inaugural Schools Programme by reaching more classrooms across Angus — and creating new opportunities for youth participation, creativity, and leadership.

  • New Themes

In 2025 and beyond, we’ll spotlight urgent environmental topics including:

    • Climate Justice
    • Biodiversity Loss
    • Indigenous Knowledge & Land Stewardship
    • Art, Activism & the Anthropocene

These themes will shape our film selections, guest speakers, and Green Connect events.

  • Deeper Partnerships

    We’re investing in stronger, long-term collaborations with:

    • Grassroots climate and justice organisations
    • Local councils and environmental NGOs
    • The international Green Film Network and UK Green Film Network
    • Artists, educators, and impact producers working at the intersection of culture and climate

We’re committed to growing not just in size — but in impact, reach, and relevance. Together with our audiences, partners, and filmmakers, we aim to keep telling stories that matter, and turning them into action that lasts.

LandxSea Beach Dook

2024 Sponsors & Partners

A heartfelt thanks to our eco-savvy, movie-loving community for their generous support.

Film Hub Scotland BFI FAN logo

Angus Climate Hub The Montrose Playhouse

Make Your Impact Today

Want to be part of what’s next? Join us.

 

Whether you’re an individual, an organisation, a funder, or a festival-goer — there’s a role for you in the LandxSea story.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Donate

Support the LandxSea mission by making a donation. Your contribution helps us keep screenings accessible, expand our youth programming, and continue hosting world-class environmental films and events in Angus. Montrose LandxSea Film Festival SCIO is a Registered Charity in Scotland (SC053626).

Volunteer

Join our dedicated team of volunteers and help bring the festival to life. Whether you’re welcoming guests, assisting filmmakers, or supporting events behind the scenes — we’d love to have you on board.

Make a Green Pledge

Add your voice to our growing movement for change. Through our Green Speak Out initiative, you can share your personal commitment — from reducing plastic to joining a community garden. Every action matters.

Attend

Our screenings and events happen all year round. Be part of the conversation — and the community — exploring climate, conservation, creativity, and justice.

 

Photo credits: Graham Black, Anthony Baxter, Rachel Caplan, Montrose LandxSea Film Fest.