The Screen Machine cinema truck is to undergo a major refit to add six more years to its operational life.
The Screen Machine is the UK’s only full-
The service originally launched in 1998, and the current truck has been on the road since 2005.
Major refit for Screen Machine mobile cinema
8 December 2016
Regional Screen Scotland has secured funding from the National Lottery through Creative
Scotland’s Open Project Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, plus sponsorship
from the Royal Bank of Scotland, to meet the costs of a full and thorough refit,
to be carried out by the Screen Machine’s original builders, French-
Robert Livingston, director of Regional Screen Scotland, said the aim is to carry out the refit in France in May 2017 and resume its normal touring circuit from June.
The Screen Machine is an articulated tractor and trailer, which uses hydraulic systems
to expand the trailer to be able to accommodate an audience of 80 in multiplex-
These hydraulic systems are subject to considerable wear and tear, as the cinema is set up and dismantled three or four times very week, and the vehicle travels regularly on ferries, and is often set up on sites fully exposed to salt and sea air.
Without a refit the lorry faces increasing breakdowns and would be unlikely to be able to continue full operation for more than another year or two at best.
