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Wildcats have been resident in Britain for over 2 million years; sharing the land with the mammoth, cave bear and cave lion long before mankind had found their way through the forests of Europe. The current population was isolated here some 9000 years ago as the last ice age ended and sea levels rose separating the British Isles from mainland Europe. Those cats evolved into a unique subspecies Felis Sylvestris Grampia; the Scottish wildcat.
These are no domestic tabbies, feral cats or farm cats run wild, they're Britain's last wild feline and infamous amongst experts for being the wildest of all wild animals; an untameable and deadly predator capable of surviving the harshest of winters in the Scottish Highlands. Today, after centuries of persecution, deforestation and competition from introduced species there are less than 400 Scottish wildcats left in the world and extinction could be as little as ten years away.
Last of the Scottish Wildcats is only the second film ever to document a cat in the wild that even many Scots believe to be no more than a myth. It is the first to fully investigate the threats facing the cat's future and the solutions proposed to protect it through detailed interviews with a range of stakeholders and several leading experts, providing a complete picture of Britain's last native feline.
We have pledged to donate 50% of all our profits from the sale of this DVD to the Scottish Wildcat Association, the only charity dedicated to conserving the Scottish wildcat, as an approximate guide we expect to donate around £4 per DVD sold through this website.
The Cairngorm mountains (still from the film), Steve Piper
Appearances and latest news
The film is now available at a dazzling array of retailers here, there and everywhere and all the stores below either have the DVD in stock or can order it in within a couple of days, of course, buying it directly from us guarantees wildcats more money and guarantees you the Coffee Films all-recycled-materials edition!
The film is also now available to rent from Highland libraries; Aviemore, Dingwall, Inverness, Lochaber Skye and Lochlash all have copies on shelves, other branches can order them in!
Press continued through to Christmas 2008 with further articles in the Daily Mail, the Vicky Halls Newsletter and Chemical Brothers blog Nibootoo.
Official announcement of the DVD release in late September 2008 drew preview articles from the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Country Life and Press and Journal; director Steve Piper also appeared on STV's North Tonight program, along with clips from the film.
Online video sharing site Daily Motion, the world's second most popular site of it's kind, featured the new DVD trailer under the Animals category on their front page across their entire international network as it was released in June 2008. Racking up over 40,000 views in three months it has become one of the sites most popular and highly rated animal clips with a view count well over 100,000 today. The shorter teaser trailer was also featured on the UK front page earlier in the year; thanks so much for the exposure and support to Digby, Sam and Luke at the UK office!
The UK Sunday Telegraph newspaper recently interviewed director/producer Steve Piper about the film and the conservation of wildcats; read the interview here, and thanks to the Telegraph team for running the trailer on their web channel Telegraph TV!
GMTV Scotland used clips from the film to illustrate a feature on SNH's Scottish wildcat survey when it was announced in February 2008.
The US organisation Wild Cat Conservation Legal Aid Society also ran a plug on their website news, thank you guys!
The Arkive project; set up to collect video and photographs of Britain and the world's most endangered species, has accepted the donation of several shots from the film to represent the Scottish wildcat, apparently it takes a while for the videos to be added though!
Stills from the film were donated to the Scottish Wildcat Association and the United Nations Environment Program for use on their websites and materials after discovering they had no file images available to them.
Our friends at Rewind Video ran a short story on us leading up to Wildscreen, read it here.
Osprey hunting at Rothiemurchus Estate (still from the film), Steve Piper
Festivals, Screenings and Markets
15-20.10.2006 Wildscreen Festival Market, UK.
12.08.2007 Portobello Film Festival, UK.
05-09.2008 Solar Cinema 2008 Tour, UK
Appearing at selected events on the tour which includes Groundwork Festival, Wichwood Festival, Knowsley Green Fayre, Glastonbury, Croxteth Country fair, Camp Bestival, Stokes Bay Festival, Folkwoods Festival, Ruigoord Landjuweel Festival, Rhythm Festival and Bestival; check their website for details!
01.08.2008 DVD release online, Worldwide.
01.01.2009 DVD release in UK stores, UK.
11.04.2009 Tartan Day, Pablo Creek Library, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
03.05.2009 Cats Protection National Cat Centre, Haywards Heath, Sussex, UK.
11.07.2009 Scotland Homecoming, Pablo Creek Library, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
15.09.2009 Scottish Festival, Amherst Museum, Amherst, NY, USA.
01.10.2009 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry, UK
07.11.2010 Scottish Wildcat Hootenanny, Port Lympne Wildlife Park, UK
15.01.2010 Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, Idyllwild, USA.
01.05.2010 Ardnamurchan Natural History Centre, Ardnamurchan, Scotland.
Screening throughout the summer season and on request by visitors
01.07.2010 Various cinema screenings in Australia to raise funds for wildcats and other charities
Scottish wildcat hunting in the Cairngorm foothills (still from the film), Steve Piper
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"... counters the myths about the wildest of cats, featuring beautiful scenes of the creatures in the Cairngorms it also discusses their dire prospects and possible remedies to ensure they have a future at all."
Sunday Telegraph
Read the full article here
"By pulling together some stunning photography, an atmospheric score and some unequivocal discussions with some of the people directly involved in the ongoing survival of this species, director Steve Piper has made a genuinely fascinating, and inspiring, documentary.
4 stars."
Pulpmovies.com
Read the full review here
"A fascinating insight into wildcats and the issues surrounding their conservation, and raising a lot of important issues about how we manage the development of wild areas in Scotland."
Tim Martin
Series Editor, BBC Natural World.
"Incredible, rare footage of Britain's last large mammal predator in the Highlands... On a tiny independent budget Last of the Scottish Wildcats aims to educate the public and help save the species from extinction."
The Press and Journal
"... a documentary film which will gladden the heart of any wild animal enthusiast and broaden knowledge of wildcats... This film deserves wider exposure... buy it, enjoy it and support wildcat conservation."
Habitat
Read the full article here
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