On a remote Scottish island, two siblings survive by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories of their ancestors, and defending the isle from dreaded ‘Incomers’. Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland.

Quirky comedy written directed by Louis Paxton, who was largely inspired by Orkney! Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez and John Hannah. Winner of the NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance Film Festival 2026.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

I’ve always been fascinated by islands. I have family from the Orkney Isles in northern Scotland, and it’s a truly magical part of the world – a stunningly beautiful and wild archipelago where we spent summers exploring Neolithic settlements and half-sunken shipwrecks. I grew up reading the local history of island communities—many now long gone – hardy people who once lived on the edge of the world, burning peat, hunting seabirds, and telling tales of ominous fin men, their lives bound to the waters that surrounded them.

Ten years ago, I started writing this story with the goal of making a film that felt specific in its Scottish identity but universal in its appeal. An entertainingly offbeat story that would bring audiences together for a shared positive experience. Though THE INCOMER is a comedy first and foremost, ultimately, this film is about human connection versus isolation. It also explores our deep-rooted resistance to change, despite its inevitability.

Making this film has been one of the great joys of my life. It is informed by my passions and influenced by those closest to me. Not only is it the film I always wanted to make, but it is also the film I always wanted to see, and I’m so excited to share it with audiences.

Louis Paxton, dir.