Local Hero 40th anniversary to be marked - but not in Pennan
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A weekend of film screenings will be held to mark the 40th anniversary of Local Hero – but none of them will take place in Pennan.
The Aberdeenshire village acted as the movie’s fictional Ferness, and its iconic red phonebox took centre stage in the movie.
Over the years, film fans have flocked to the north-east to see the historic village.
Meanwhile the interior of the film’s Macaskill Arms was shot at Banff’s former C-listed 18th Century pub, The Ship Inn.
However, the historic bar will soon be gone for good as plans were recently approved to transform the building into a cafe and flat.
The screenings will be held to mark the re-release of the 1983 comedy film directed by Bill Forsyth.
Local Hero screenings are due to be held in Banff and possibly Macduff, however Pennan was ruled out after being deemed as an “unsuitable location”.
Aberdeenshire Council will put £15,768.35 from the Banff and Buchan Coastal Communities Fund towards the anniversary celebrations.
In its funding application, the local authority said the occasion “marks a seminal anniversary within Scottish Film History”.
It added: “Local Hero is cherished by both Scots and cinephiles across the world.
“It is largely considered the film that put Scotland on the cinematic map, and its director, Bill Forsyth, an auteur of Scottish cinema.”
Cinetopia is behind the anniversary project.
They will organise the event and ensure the celebrations run smoothly.
Currently no dates or venues have been confirmed and the number of screenings is still to be announced.
The local authority has also suggested that a film trail could be created to direct movie buffs to other filming locations in the region.
This could include Macduff, where footage was shot for TV shows Stonemouth and The Crown, as well as Portsoy, which features in BBC hit Peaky Blinders and Whisky Galore.
Meanwhile, an application for extra funding has been submitted to Screen Scotland for £125,000 to help give the event an additional boost.
