Fort William’s Highland Cinema has been recognised on the national stage for its work.
The Big Screen Awards have officially announced the Lochaber indie as the 2023 winners for the Cinema of the Year Award in their category.
Owner and local councillor Angus MacDonald has seen the cinema go from strength to strength.
Just three years after opening their doors, Highland Cinema have been awarded the UK’s Cinema of the Year in the 24 screens and under category.
Despite being a relatively new cinema, this year was in fact their second time receiving a nomination.
The 24 Screens and Under category honours cinemas who ‘continue to innovate and draw in audiences‘ despite the challenges filmhouses have in recent years.
Big Screen Awards considers multiple factors when selecting winners for the Cinema of the Year category.
This includes evidence of the cinema connecting with and serving their community, innovative programming and engaging with audiences.
Other nominated filmhouses in the 24 screens and under category include the Montrose Playhouse and Belfast’s Queen’s Film Theatre.
“This is an amazing achievement for us”
Accepting the award at the ceremony, Angus MacDonald said he could not describe just how pleased he was.
“This is the most fantastic thing for Highland Cinema, for the people of Fort William and Lochaber, and for all our wonderful and enthusiastic staff.”
Angus MacDonald was inspired to create both Highland Cinema and Highland Bookshop by a Vanity Fair article.
Fort William and Lochaber were without a filmhouse of their own for approximately 15 years until Highland Cinema opened in September 2020.
Until then, the nearest cinemas were in Oban (which is over 40 miles away) and Inverness (over 60 miles away).
“It really mattered to me to have something which people were very proud of in the area” says Angus.
“Somewhere they could say to their friends, ‘this is a fantastic place to go’ in our town.”
General Manager Caroline Knox says: “This is an amazing achievement for us in such a short space of time since opening.”
“Many thanks to our local community, sponsors and visitors for all their support, and to our excellent team who I’m very proud of.”
Conversation