Students support Braid BC with BOWL Official Film
BOWL is a short film with an LGBTQ+ and comedic storyline created and produced by a group of final year students from Edinburgh Napier University and shot at two Edinburgh-based bowling clubs. Most of the crew involved in the project have some experience of bowls and the important role bowling clubs play within their communities from childhood experiences or through their families. Newbattle Bowling Club and Braid Bowling Club were used as filming locations for the Proof of concept and the film itself respectively, with these Edinburgh clubs both supporting and benefiting from the project.
We spoke to Scot ‘Francis’ Mackenzie the Producer of the short film to find out more about the project and how it plans to bring the community theme of bowling to life...
“BOWL is particularly close to my heart, it’s a story of community, found family, and queer identity, themes that resonate deeply with me. Learning about the sport of lawn bowls and diving into queer history during this journey has been both educating and inspiring. The immediate reaction from Braid Bowling Club was enthusiastic and very warm! As entry level filmmakers, it can at times feel intimidating approaching communities or spaces such as these as we do not want to be disrespectful. Every single board member of Braid Bowling Club from the start were kind and flexible with helping bring our shared vision to life.
“Creating BOWL has been an incredible journey filled with both challenges and triumphs. After a successful crowdfunder campaign, we still had to be resourceful, stretching every pound to ensure the film met our vision without compromising quality.
“Our key location, Braid Bowling Club, could not have been any more hospitable. They provided endless props, costumes and plenty of refreshments for our crew. From our initial recce they have been enthusiastic at the prospect of us filming there. Showcasing one of Edinburgh’s oldest bowling clubs felt like an honour, and it only felt right to allocate part of our budget towards a generous donation to help ensure its future for generations to come. The club were so involved in bringing our film to life. From helping us decorate our set, to teaching our cast members about lawn bowls and for letting us have free use of the space over the course of our shoot days. The central component of our film is community, it only felt natural that we practice what we preach!”
“We’re incredibly proud of how BOWL brings a fresh, nuanced perspective to queer storytelling, particularly in its portrayal of an older gay protagonist. The film isn’t just about competition, it’s about legacy, resilience, and the unexpected bonds that carry us through life.”
These bonds and friendships which many bowlers across Scotland will have forged on the bowling green or within the clubs were important to Saoirse Gillespie, Writer of BOWL When creating the characters for the film. She told us how her personal experience of bowling clubs helped shape the community values which are evident in the storytelling and characters themselves...
“I have grown up frequenting bowling clubs all my life, whether it be for parties, funerals or bowls games and I’m aware of what an important space this is for local communities, so showing the importance of these spaces through the characters attachment to their own bowling club and the lease of life it continues to give them was very important.”
John Kelbie, Director of BOWL also has family ties to the sport and used personal experiences as inspiration for their work…
“Since my childhood, I was often at the bowling club with my grandparents where I also learned to play the sport. I have always found it interesting that members of the older generation interact with each other in a manner similar to how I engage with my peers. This observation has inspired me to explore these themes in a short film, while also incorporating LGBTQ+ characters and themes, which are an important aspect of my identity as a filmmaker.”
Braid BC in Edinburgh, hosted the students throughout the filming, providing props, costumes, refreshments and advice on the sport itself. We spoke to Ivor Yule, Secretary of Braid BC to find out more about the clubs’ involvement in the short film and how the club plans to put to use the donation they received from the students…
“From the first approach from the BOWL team, the Braid Bowling Club were very happy and enthusiastic to be involved in this fun and innovative project, providing support where we could. Not only are we supporting this young team in their life adventure, we are also helping provide a vehicle to promote bowling in general and potentially our club.
“After the initial meeting with the team we messaged our members advising them what was happening and looking for volunteers to support the production. Even though the filming was carried out, 'out of season' we had a good response, with bowlers playing on the green for the production and participating in a 'Fair' day. Fortunately for the production team, this took place on a nice sunny day, everyone enjoyed the experience, 'take' and 'retake'.
“We were delighted when we were advised that the BOWL team would be making a donation, this is much appreciated. As with most bowling clubs finances are an issue going forward. The donation will be used in refurbishing/ replacing our green furniture, rink markers etc.
“It is worth pointing out that we were impressed with how the whole team treated our club house and the green with respect. The whole experience was enjoyed by all involved. The club look forward to viewing the final production and hope that the whole BOWL team enjoyed the experience and that this contributes to their future life success.”
Bowls Scotland have been excited to follow the progress of this project so far and are encouraged to see a young generation of filmmakers and creatives show such interest and passion in our sport and the community it fosters. We are delighted to support the students and their project as they take the film on it’s next step to film festivals and wish everyone involved the best of luck for this process.
With the 2026 Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow and bowling clubs across Scotland facing financial challenges and declining membership, the timing of BOWL is opportune – with the potential to introduce a new audience to our sport. The film aims to encourage engagement and raise awareness of the sport whilst highlighting some of the challenges that many clubs are currently experiencing.
More information on BOWL can be found via the films’ website and social media accounts https://bowlofficialfilm.wixsite.com/bowlofficialfilm