Lights, Camera, Books! Wigtown Festival Goes Hollywood for 10 Days

The Wigtown Book Festival, a popular event in southern Scotland, is about to begin, and this year it will be even more memorable. Director Jessica Fox and cinematographer Ben Please are set to film a special movie during the festival, which lasts for ten days starting on Friday. Their project, currently called Wigtown - The Movie, will be a fifteen-minute film that aims to capture the unique story of how Wigtown, a small community, welcomes thousands of visitors every year. The movie will be shown at next year's festival, giving everyone a chance to see what makes Wigtown so special.

Jessica Fox is well-known for her work in film, having written and directed Stella, a feature film that won awards internationally. She is also working on a new project called Spaghetti Western, which focuses on female characters. Jessica believes that Wigtown deserves its own movie because of its lively atmosphere, friendly people, and strong sense of community. She describes the town as open to outsiders and full of energy and fun. The film will include both scripted scenes, with local people playing key roles, and unscripted moments that will depend on what happens during the festival. This means that visitors and residents could end up being part of the movie just by joining in the festival activities.

One of the local stars set to appear in the film is Shaun Bythell, the author of the Diary of a Bookseller series and owner of The Book Shop, which is Scotland's largest second-hand bookstore. Adrian Turpin, the festival director, is enthusiastic about the movie project. He thinks it is a creative way to involve both residents and visitors and to highlight what makes Wigtown and its festival so enjoyable. Adrian is leading the festival for the last time before stepping down, and he encourages everyone to come and take part in the many events planned from September 26 to October 5. With so much happening, the festival promises to be a lively celebration, and those who attend might even find themselves featured in Wigtown - The Movie.