Film festival in former bingo hall

4:06pm Saturday 16th August 2008

A film festival created by Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton and held in a former bingo hall is getting under way.

In contrast to formal red carpet events such as Cannes, the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams will allow audiences to watch films on bean bags while enjoying home baking. They are encouraged to cheer at the end of films and free entry can be gained in exchange for home made cakes.

The festival is being held in the town of Nairn in the north of Scotland, where Ms Swinton lives. She founded the event with former director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival Mark Cousins.

It is being held in the town's Ballerina Ballroom, which has previously served as a social club and bingo hall as well as hosting bands such as The Who and Pink Floyd.

The festival will run until next weekend and features classics such as Singin' In The Rain, along with more obscure films and offerings from local directors.

Ms Swinton, who won an Oscar last year for her role in Michael Clayton, came up with the idea after renting the ballroom on "an impulse, a quixotic seizure", according to the festival website.

Festival volunteer George Gray, who is selling tickets from the nearby Nairn Bookshop, said it was attracting interest from around the world.

He said: "We are trying to get away from the idea of going to multiplexes with massive buckets of popcorn to see the same thing. It is about showing really good films in a really nice atmosphere - basically, getting back to basics."

Among the films showing are Roman Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers, Federico Fellini's 8 1/2, and a trilogy from the Scottish director Bill Douglas.

The event is launched 135 years to the day after the building was opened as Nairn Public Hall with a grand ball on Friday August 15 1873.

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