Festival's Basic Information
2023
Rachel Caplan, Festival Director
Rachel Caplan, Co-Founder & Festival Director
Holly Muse, Assistant Festival Producer
Montrose
DD10 8NN
LANDxSEA AWARDS
Each year, we celebrate standout environmental films and the people behind them.
NORTH LIGHT AWARD
Our juried award for Best Scottish Environmental Film, with a £500 cash prize.
The North Light Award recognises bold filmmaking, original storytelling and fresh perspectives on environmental themes.
Films of any length are eligible. To qualify, a film must either:
- be directed or produced by a filmmaker currently based in Scotland; or
- feature Scotland significantly in its story, subject or setting.
Winners
2025: Lost for Words — Hannah Papacek Harper
2024: Finding Bo — Rachel Sarah
AUDIENCE AWARD
Chosen by audiences at the festival.
All feature presentations are eligible, with festival-goers voting for the film that stayed with them most.
Winners
2025: Yanuni — Richard Ladkani
2024: Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story — Charlie Hamilton James
All submitted films are considered for relevant awards at the festival’s discretion.
We’re seeking 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.
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.
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.
At the 2025 Festival, we spotlighted 22 new environmental films from around the world, with 31 visiting filmmakers and guest speakers, expert panels, and incredible audience discussions.
In addition to our annual festival, we presented ten LandxSea Monthly screenings in 2025.
Our year-round strand brings festival favourites, exclusive previews and timely environmental films to Montrose Playhouse, often accompanied by filmmaker Q&As, guest speakers and community conversations. We also present occasional schools and special community screenings throughout the year.
Explore our 2025 Festival Programme and 2025 Festival Impact Report for more.
Beyond the cinema, LandxSea is packed with ways to join the conversation and get involved.
The festival includes filmmaker Q&As, expert panels, impact discussions, creative workshops for all ages, community gatherings, live events and informal socials. We also head outdoors for activities including beach walks, environmental events and our much-loved Montrose Beach Dook — a bracing group swim in the North Sea.
Our aim is to make the festival active, social and participatory, creating space for audiences, filmmakers and local communities to share ideas, build connections and turn inspiration into action.
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The festival takes place primarily in one public venue: the community-owned Montrose Playhouse.
Housed in a former 1960s swimming pool, the Playhouse reopened in 2021 as a state-of-the-art cinema and arts centre with three screens, digital projection and sound, workshop spaces and areas for community events. It was a finalist for BIFA’s UK Cinema of the Year 2025.
Some festival activities also take place in nearby public outdoor spaces, including Montrose Beach. We do not currently use any private venues.
