Submit Your Film to LandxSea 2026!

Festival submissions are open until 22 April for Scotland’s environmental film festival, taking place 11–13 September 2026 at the Montrose Playhouse.

Submit online at filmfreeway.com/LandxSeaFest or with the paper entry form below.

Key Deadlines

Early Bird: 25 February 2026
Regular: 26 March 2026
Late: 22 April 2026

More information:

Questions? Email us at [email protected]

Join Scotland's Environmental Film Festival

LandxSea is where films ignite action. 🌊

We are Scotland’s environmental film festival – a long weekend of cinema, conversation, and community in the northeast, based in the coastal town of Montrose, where shifting dunes, rising seas, and rich wildlife make the climate story feel very close to home.

Each September we curate a small, powerful selection of films about climate, nature and place-based stories, with a strong interest in Indigenous perspectives, land rights, and communities on the frontline of environmental change.

Our audiences come ready to think, feel, and get involved, and our aim is that the work stays with them long after the credits roll.

What Films We're Seeking In 2026

We’re looking for compelling films exploring environmental challenges, innovative solutions, and the many ways people and nature shape one another. Whether it’s a gripping documentary, an artistic short, an experimental piece, or a powerful narrative, we want films that:

spark conversation
open up new perspectives
invite audiences to imagine, and build, better futures

Bring us work that’s bold, tender, funny, urgent, surprising. We’re here for it. 💚

Why Submit?

Screen your film to our engaged, enthusiastic audience at the renowned Montrose Playhouse — finalist for BIFA's UK Cinema of the Year 2025.
Take part in dynamic discussions with passionate audiences and experts.
Connect with filmmakers and eco-leaders from around the world.
Compete for awards that celebrate excellence in environmental storytelling.

In Conversation - David Macpherson, creator of The Rig

About LandxSea

Since launching in 2023, we’ve welcomed 100+ filmmakers and speakers from across Scotland and around the world, grown a year-round LandxSea Monthly strand and Schools at the Festival programme, and doubled submissions while keeping the programme intimate, thoughtful, and audience-focused.

The festival is hosted at the Montrose Playhouse, a former swimming pool transformed into a community-owned cinema and arts venue with excellent projection, sound, and access. LandxSea is the first UK member of the international Green Film Network (GFN) and the first Scottish member of the UK Green Film Network, working with fellow exhibitors to bring environmental stories to screens across the country.

We are supported by Screen Scotland (part of Creative Scotland/Scottish Government) and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI).

The Festival is a registered charity in Scotland. Learn more about our impact.

Film Submission Rules

Eligibility

Films MUST have an environmental topic or angle.
We welcome a wide range of perspectives, including coastal cultures, environmental justice, and indigenous climate action.
All lengths and genres welcome, including documentary, fiction/narrative, animation, hybrid/experimental, and student work.

Topical areas include (but are not limited to):

Climate Action
Coastal Cultures
Environmental Justice
Energy Transition
Healthy Food Systems
Indigenous & Place-Based Knowledge
Montrose & Angus Region
Oceans & Rivers
Outdoor Activities & Nature Connection
Sustainable Living
Wildlife Conservation & Biodiversity
Youth & Intergenerational Activism

If you’re unsure whether your film fits, you’re very welcome to submit – we interpret “environmental” broadly.

Submission Requirements

Films must have been completed after 1 January 2025.
Dialogue must be English or subtitled in English.
Feature films are defined as 50 minutes or longer.
Work-in-progress cuts are accepted, but please note clearly what is incomplete.
Multiple entries are allowed (each requires a separate submission and fee).
Youth Filmmakers (18 and under) submit for free.

Selection Notification

All entrants will receive notification by early July.

Our programming team and volunteer screeners carefully review every film. We keep the programme intentionally small, so please know that non-selection often reflects scheduling and balance rather than quality.

Exhibition Formats

If your film is selected, we will request a screening copy in one of the following formats for the Montrose Playhouse:

DCP (preferred)
Digital file (ProRes, high-quality H.264 or similar)

Technical specifications and delivery deadlines will be confirmed upon selection.

Shipping

Filmmakers are responsible for shipping physical screening materials (e.g. DCP drives) to the festival.
LandxSea covers return or forward shipping after the festival.

In many cases, we can arrange secure digital delivery instead of physical drives.

Film Categories

Features: Our feature films anchor the festival, bringing immersive, compelling storytelling to the big screen. We welcome films 50 minutes or longer (documentary, narrative, hybrid, or animation) that explore environmental themes and our changing relationship with land, sea, and climate.
Mid-Length: Running between 20 and 50 minutes, mid-length films bridge the space between shorts and features. Selected films may screen on their own or as part of a carefully curated programme.
Shorts: We know that great storytelling often comes in small packages. Our shorts category is open to films under 20 minutes. Selected shorts may screen before a feature or as part of a carefully curated shorts programme.
Micro Shorts (3 mins and under): Big impact in a small timeframe. This category is open to films of 3 minutes or less, with free submission for eligible titles. We celebrate concise, powerful storytelling that can captivate an audience in just a few moments.
Young Filmmaker Competition: Are you a young storyteller with an environmental message? This is your chance to see your film on the big screen at LandxSea, in front of an engaged festival audience. We welcome short films in any style or genre, as long as they explore climate, nature, or our relationship with the living world. To qualify, the film’s director must be 18 or younger as of 13 September 2026.

Awards & Prizes

Each year, we recognise outstanding environmental films and filmmakers.

North Light Award

Juried award for Best Scottish Environmental Film with a £500 cash prize.
Celebrates innovative storytelling and fresh perspectives on environmental issues.
Films of any length are eligible. To qualify, the film must either:
- be created by filmmakers (director or producer) currently residing in Scotland or
- significantly feature Scotland in its story or setting.
Finalists will be announced in August and showcased at LandxSea 2026.

Young Filmmaker Competition

Full Competition Details & Entry Form coming in February.

Juried award for filmmakers aged 18 and under.
Celebrates short films that present creative, positive, or practical responses to the challenges of climate change and environmental justice.
Includes a £150 cash prize and the Young Filmmaker Award for the best film.

Audience Award

Voted for by audiences at the festival.
All feature presentations are eligible.

All submitted films are eligible for these awards, as determined by the Festival.

LandxSea Film Fest collage 2

How to Enter

Deadlines & Entry Fees

Early Bird: Before 25 February 2026
Feature: £15 | Mid-Length: £10 | Shorts: £5
Regular: Before 25 March 2026
Feature: £17.50 | Mid-Length: £12.50 | Shorts: £7.50
Late: Before 22 April 2026
Feature: £20 | Mid-Length: £15 | Shorts: £10

** Age 18 and under: Free

Discounts are available for students and FilmFreeway Gold members. Check FilmFreeway for details.

Submit Online (Preferred)

Submit electronically at filmfreeway.com/LandxSeaFest

Submit by Email (Alternative to FilmFreeway)

If you prefer not to submit online at FilmFreeway, please download the Entry Form and return it to us via email to [email protected] and select from these payment and screener preview options.

Entry Fee Payments (via email)

Payments must be in UK Pounds only. The submission fee is non-refundable. Select one of these options:

Credit Card: Pay securely online at landxsea.org/filmentrypayments
PayPal: Send payment to paypal.me/landxseafest
Bank Transfer or Cheque: Contact us for details.

Please note that any international exchange rates are determined on the date of the transaction. Please add any bank fees to the entry amount.

Preview Screener Submission (via email)

Option 1: Provide an online streaming link (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) and password (if required).
Option 2: Submit a media file via email or Dropbox via email.

We do not accept mailed physical entries (DVDs, USBs, etc.). Contact us if you need assistance.

Terms & Conditions

By submitting your film, you agree to the following:

Eligibility: LandxSea reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any submitted project.
Archiving: Submitted materials may be kept by LandxSea for internal reference and archival purposes (non-public).
Exhibition Formats: If accepted, filmmakers must provide a screening copy in one of the prescribed formats (DCP or digital file) by the agreed deadline.
Rights & Clearances: Filmmakers must ensure that all necessary rights and clearances have been obtained for public screening. LandxSea is not liable for any copyright infringement.
Promotional Use: By submitting, you grant LandxSea the right to use trailers, stills, posters, and brief excerpts (up to 2 minutes) from your film for non-commercial festival promotional purposes, including festival trailers, festival website, social media, and press.
Liability: While we take great care with all materials, LandxSea is not responsible for lost or damaged screening copies or drives.
Awards: Cash prizes will be disbursed within 4-6 weeks after the festival’s closing night. LandxSea reserves the right to modify awards and criteria.
Agreement: By submitting, you confirm that you have read and agree to the festival’s Rules and Terms and that you have the authority to submit the film.

Questions? Email us at [email protected]

What our Filmmakers & Guests are saying

“It was such a pleasure to share the film with the Montrose audience. I carry back a lot of warmth and love. Every film seeks its right audience and my film found it in Montrose.” — Nishtha Jain, The Golden Thread

“An incredible collection of the best environmental films, it's hard to believe this festival is only two years old! The festival team offered exceptional support for exhibiting filmmakers. The Montrose Playhouse Cinema was a particular highlight with fantastic facilities and a professional, friendly team! A brilliant festival that celebrates environmental storytelling.” — Ted Simpson, The Eagle with the Sunlit Eye

“I enjoyed this experience a lot: three days discussing ecology with other people and watching films in a Scottish coastal town... What more could you ask for? It was a festival focused on hospitality, human connections and discussions about the future. And it gives me hope to be surrounded by other people who care about the environment and the sea. It also was the first screening in Scotland for "Chasing Whales", half of which was filmed in the Hebrides, so it was an important screening for me. Thanks again to the festival team.” — La Fille Renne, Chasing Whales

“The Montrose LandxSea Film Festival created a unique space for discussing environmental solutions and fostering cross-cultural learning. It was a real privilege to see how the audience connected with the film and its themes, which are more important now than ever with the growing threat of climate change. I wish the festival and its amazing team continued success in the years to come.” — Daniesky Acosta, Cuban Bees: The Organic Revolution

“Seeing my first short film on the big screen - our world premiere! The reception was so positive, it blew me away. I can't think where else we would have had such a warm initiation into the filmmaking community.” — Louisa Jones, Plan Z: From Lab Coats to Handcuffs

“It is really encouraging to see more and more new environmental film festivals, like Montrose LandxSea Film Fest, emerging. Our planet is on its knees, so providing platforms for debate and the sharing of ideas has never been more vital. It is lovely when festivals champion small indies like ours and help to get the message out. Our wee team were so excited that our rewilding story 'The Bough Breaks', had found its way into a programme of films, that promised to focus on the big issues. Great communication and hospitality! Our thanks go out to all the team and fellow filmmakers for an inspiring weekend.” — Caroline, Danny & Gabriel Strong, The Bough Breaks

“Great to meet the lovely people of Montrose at the LandxSea Fest screening of Riverwoods yesterday. And thanks too for the searching questions.” — Peter Cairns, producer of Riverwoods

“What a weekend spent in Montrose explore some lesser known parts of Scotland. My heart is so full, so thank you for everyone who has been a part of it - new or old - I think it is going to take a few days to process all of it. Thank you to the incredible LandxSea Fest for having me and let's hope we can turn this into an annual visit.” — Becca Harvey, star of The Ice Mile