Kirkcaldy filmmaker releases wildlife documentary highlighting environmental issues

Libby Penman, a former Balwearie High School pupil, who focuses on wildlife and environmental issues started her career filming extreme sports in the town’s Beveridge Park.

Her documentary, ‘Shooting Animals: Can film making help save them’, follows her journey from skate park filmmaker to COP26.

The film features many experts along the way, including, marine biologists, youth activists, the WWF Scotland, and Scottish wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter legend, Gordon Buchanan.

She said: “I started my film making career shooting videos in Beveridge Park at the skate park and it just spiralled from there – at the time I never knew that I could be making films as a job!

"As I spent so much time outdoors as a child I naturally progressed to making nature films as Fife has so much amazing countryside.

"To begin with it was just a hobby, but as I was working as a runner with BBC Scotland I got a break when I was able to film for the TV programme Springwatch.”

As Libby was working as a freelancer, she said that when COVID struck it was both a curse and a blessing.

"When COVID struck, I alongside many other freelancers found ourselves out of work which wasn’t ideal, but on the plus side it gave me ample opportunity to work on my film,” she said.

"It was really hard working through several lockdowns, but it also gave me the chance to work with filmmakers and TV presenter legends like Gordon Buchanan and Doug Allan, who is a key filmmaker behind ‘Blue Planet’ and ‘Frozen Planet’.”

Since finishing her documentary, Libby has returned to her old high school in Kirkcaldy to showcase her film and to talk to pupils about the possibility of a career in film making.

"The school and all of my old teachers have been great and incredibly supportive of the whole project.

“I’ve shown my film to pupils at Balwearie High School to get a few different viewpoints and to show the pupils that it is possible to follow your dreams.”

Shooting Animals: Can film making help save them, will be on STV player from Sunday, June 5. For more information, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/libby.penman/?hl=en.