Film graduate Joe Osborn documents Scotland’s first electric fishing boat

After graduating from UHI North, West and Hebrides, filmmaker Joe Osborn followed his neighbour’s ambitious project to convert a diesel fishing boat to electric. The resulting documentary, It’ll Never Work, has won multiple awards and brought Scotland’s first electric fishing boat to the screen.

When BA (Hons) Contemporary Film Making in the Highlands and Islands graduate Joe Osborn finished his degree, he didn’t expect his first major documentary to begin in his neighbour’s workshop in rural Argyll. Fisherman Hans Unkles showed him a dusty, ageing Cygnus boat and shared plans to convert its diesel engine to a fully electric system.

Joe knew it was a story worth capturing. He began filming the full process as Hans cut, welded and rebuilt the vessel piece by piece. The conversion took a year, and so did the documentary that followed. The result, It’ll Never Work (2024), has since won multiple awards and gained national attention for its innovative approach to sustainable fishing.

The documentary is available at itllneverwork.boats, where Hans also writes about his experience as the UK’s first electric fisherman, and it can be streamed on Amazon.

Since It’ll Never Work, Joe has gone on to make three more documentaries and continues to produce his own sci-fi and horror short films, a passion that grew during his time on the Contemporary Film Making course.

Reflecting on his studies, Joe says:
“The filmmaking course at UHI taught me a lot about camera and editing techniques, which I've used in my film work. The freelancing module was especially helpful because it gave me the foundations I needed to work independently as a filmmaker.

I developed a strong bond with my peers during my studies, and the experience shaped my filming style. I try to capture moments while they’re happening and waste as little time as possible. That continues in my documentaries today. Nothing in It’ll Never Work is scripted or repeated. It’s all real characters in real settings."

Joe continues to base himself in Argyll and alongside his filmmaking work trained as a fisherman and went on to win Trainee Fisherman of the Year 2024. His experience on land and sea continues to inspire the stories he tells.

Hans’ work has also received recognition, winning the Nature of Scotland Innovation Award 2025 for his pioneering approach to electric fishing.

Joe and Hans have toured cinemas and film clubs across Scotland with the documentary. Screenings have proven incredibly popular, including two sold out events at Oban Cinema that drew even larger audiences than the Barbie movie.

To keep up with Joe’s filmmaking and adventures, follow Carsaig Films on YouTube and Instagram.

Inspired by Joe's journey? Apply now for September 2026.