COMMUNITY Cinema is coming to Ballantrae.

With the support of Driftwood Cinema the Ballantrae Trust will begin screening films in the Church and Community Hall from Thursday October 11.

Andy McAlpine, Chair of The Ballantrae Trust said “We are keen to bring community cinema to the village, exploring and building on the experience and the success of community cinema elsewhere in Scotland. This will provide an additional income stream for the new Trust and support village regeneration.

Access to the cinema for people in Ballantrae is an ongoing problem because the nearest venues are so far away.

Films are occasionally shown at the Ryan Centre in Stranraer 18 miles; Girvan (Library) 13 miles; Newton Stewar t (The Cinema) 30 miles; and Maybole (Carrick Centre) 25 miles, so visits involve driving long distances, often in bad weather.

“Many members of Ballantrae’s ageing population do not have access to a car, and public transport links particularly in the eveni ng a nd wint e r months, are not good.

"Loneliness and isolation can therefore be a problem.

“The Trust’s Cultural Events Programme - including film - helps to address that.”

Matt Kitson at Wigtown based Driftwood Cinema said: “It is great to have Ballantrae as part of this year’s project which will see seven new community cinemas starting up in Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire.

The new community cinemas will join a flourishing community and independent cinema sector of 14 venues across the south west of Scotland.”

Ballantrae will receive six funded screenings, with screening equipment, technical support andadvice to help launch their community cinema as part of the support offered by Driftwood Cinema with funding from DGUnlimited, Filmhub Scotland and the Big Lottery.

Ballantrae’s programme of films for October 2018 to January 2019 is: Thursday October 11 - Wonder (6pm) and Finding Your Feet (8pm).

Friday November 16 – Peter Rabbit (6pm) and The Guernsey Literature and Potato Peel Pie Society (8pm) Thursday January – The Red Turtle Information about other community cinemas across can be found online at driftwoodcinema.org Or check them out on Facebook at @DriftwoodMovies