The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford

An aging tour guide has his world upended when a big-budget fantasy TV show begins filming in his remote Scottish village.

Director: Sean Dunn 

Writer: Sean Dunn 

Producers: Alex Polunin, Scott Macaulay and Jennifer Monks

Production Companies: Ossian Pictures, Forensic Films Inc., The Fold

Main Cast: Peter Mullan, Jakob Oftebro and Gayle Rankin

Sales Agent: Charades

Screen Scotland support: The film received funding through Screen Scotland's FIlm Development and Production Fund and the Screen Commission Recce Fund. 

Synopsis

Kenneth (Peter Mullan) works in the Arberloch visitors centre as a tour guide, dressing up as the town's most notable historical figure, Sir Douglas Weatherford, an 18th century philosopher and inventor who Kenneth proudly claims as his ancestor. When the village becomes the base of a big-budget fantasy TV show, The White Stag of Emberfell, the visitor centre is transformed into an Emberfell fan experience. 

With the show's costumed fans descending on the town, Kenneth's sanity crumbles as the traditions he holds dear are casually dismissed — a mental decline his daughter Anna (Gayle Rankin) attributes to grief over the loss of his wife. Kenneth's crisis takes an even darker turn when his ire becomes fixated on the show's handsome star, Oscar Sorenson (Jakob Oftebro). The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford is a dark comedy exploring the thin line between history and fantasy.

An older man with a beard and glasses intently examines a display case filled with various objects, including a wooden gavel. The setting appears to be a museum or historical exhibit.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by MUBI UK & Ireland (@mubiuk)

More information

Theatrical release: The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Friday 12 June 2026. 

Festivals: The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford has been selected as part of the Great 8 showcase, which takes place in the run-up to the 2024 Cannes Marché. The film was then  selected to appear in the Big Screen competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2026 from Thursday 29 January 2026, and screened as part of the line-up at the 49th Göteburg Film Festival on Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February 2026. The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford had its UK premiere at the Glasgow Flm Festival on Wednesday 4 March, followed by a second screening on Friday 6 March 2026. 

Filming: The production received funding to film entirely in Scotland, in Balerno, Dalmeny Estate, Dundas Castle and Prestonhall.

Image credit: Still from The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, credit Saskia Coulson