Make waves this Christmas with Lost Shore’s Festive Dining Experience, an indoor winter wonderland with fire pit drinks, sharing menu, festive cocktail offering and option for surf lessons.
Lost Shore, Scotland’s first inland surf resort, is launching The Lost Feast, its inaugural festive dining experience. Running from December 4th to December 20th, 2024, this exciting concept offers one of the most unique Christmas party options in the country. It promises an unforgettable blend of winter wonderland vibes, exquisite food, and adventurous fun, all against the stunning backdrop of Europe’s largest inland wave pool.
Created by the renowned Edinburgh-based events agency, Rogue Village, The Lost Feast will be an immersive indoor winter woodland experience filled with festive spirit, delightful food, and magical memories. Guests will enter through a Narnia-inspired wardrobe and discover a beautiful immersive wonderland – perfect for corporate celebrations, get-togethers with friends and family, or any holiday event.
The Ultimate Festive Party Experience
The festivities start with a welcome cocktail around Lost Shore’s outdoor fire pits, offering stunning views of the surf in action. From there, guests will enter a beautifully decorated immersive dining space with twinkling lights, lush greenery, and communal tables, setting the perfect festive scene.
A major highlight is the woodland-inspired sharing menu, prepared by Glasgow’s critically acclaimed Five March restaurant, making its Edinburgh debut. The meal features local Scottish ingredients, served sharing-style among friends, family, or colleagues. Award-winning mixologists will also serve a bespoke festive cocktail menu, complemented with non-alcoholic options.
Enhance Your Experience with Unique Add-Ons
Event guests looking to maximise their festive experience can upgrade with special offers on surf sessions at the inland wave pool and overnight stays in luxury lodges and pods.
Step Into the Magic of The Lost Cinema
As part of its 2024 festive offering, Lost Shore is also proud to introduce The Lost Cinema—a captivating indoor winter woodland cinema experience. Guests will step through a Narnia-inspired wardrobe into an enchanting world, where classic festive films will be screened in a beautifully immersive forest setting.
Family festive favourites including The Snowman, Elf, Home Alone and The Polar Express will be screened along with Love Actually, Gremlins and Die Hard – offering something for everyone.
The Lost Cinema experience is made even sweeter with indulgent treats like hot chocolate, mulled wine, festive cocktails and delicious food available from Lost Shore’s restaurant offering, Canteen. Guests can also toast marshmallows on the terrace, the perfect way to get into the festive spirit.
For an even more magical night, pre-show drinks or dinner at Lost Shore’s waterfront bar & restaurant, Canteen, will make the experience unforgettable.
Lauren Hyder, Head of Events and Sales at Lost Shore, said:“There has been a trend in recent years of people wanting more from their festive night out, looking for unique and unforgettable experiences.
“We are excited to offer what might just be one of the most unique party packages in our first year of operation. From surf sessions to our winter wonderland dining experience, we’ve crafted a celebration that truly stands out for anyone looking to do something special this Christmas.
“We have an exciting calendar of events planned for the coming year, kicking off with an opening festival this August. Keep your eyes peeled for more information to come on that!”
For exclusive hire for up to 90 guests, or to secure a seat for two or more guests at the Lost Feast, or to receive more information about the event, please visit Lost Shore’s What’s on Page: www.lostshore.com/events/whats-on
Step into the magic of the festive season at New Lanark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, transformed into a winter wonderland for Christmas.
From Saturday, 30th November until Christmas Eve, the festive village is bursting with holiday cheer and delightful experiences for the whole family. This Christmas season, New Lanark has an enchanting lineup to make your festive celebrations truly unforgettable.
Running from Saturday 30th November to Tuesday 24th December, ‘Christmas at New Lanark’ promises a magical family day out filled with festive joy and excitement. The festivities will run from Friday to Sunday, with additional special openings on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th December.
New Lanark’s magical location, resembling a giant toy factory silently nestled at the foot of the Clyde valley, creates the perfect backdrop for a magical family day out and Christmas festivities this season, offering something for all ages.
Visitors will feel as though they’ve been transported to a bygone era, with a variety of festive activities included in the experience. Get ready to laugh and cheer with Arkeen Theatre Company’s production of Pinocchio, a 45-minute pantomime performance full of festive fun.
Your ticket includes the ‘Spirit of Christmas Ride’ embarking on a captivating journey through the magical history of Christmas on this enchanting ride. There will be Christmas Films in the Theatre; enjoy three beloved Christmas classics, screening every 45 minutes throughout the day. There will also be a Soft Play & Inflatable Assault Course, perfect for little adventurers, offering lots of festive fun and challenges.
No Christmas celebration is complete without a visit to Santa and his helpful Elves, watch the little ones eyes light up as they receive their special gift. Newly designed by NL Productions this year, Santa’s Grotto offers fun-filled family challenges and holiday cheer.
For those with sensory needs, New Lanark will host a Quiet Session on Saturday 30th November from 11am. During this time, visitor numbers will be limited to provide a calmer environment. The pantomime will take place at 11:00 am, and guests can explore the rest of the site at their leisure until 1:00 pm.
Meanwhile, the Café & Mill Shop will both be open throughout the event, offering refreshments and Christmas shopping for all your holiday needs, before exploring the historic buildings and the beautiful rooftop garden, adding to the charm of this unique Christmas experience.
Why not make a trip of it and wake up in this beautiful World Heritage Site, staying overnight at The Mill Hotel, which has all your catering needs wrapped up with festivelunches and dinners served throughout December. Book your Christmas party nights throughout December, with fabulous food and great entertainment or come along to Carols by Candlelight, an enchanting evening with Strathaven Choral Society.
Book your Party Lunch with Santa, offering a great day out for the family with lots of entertainment. The team will be serving Festive Afternoon Tea with entertainment throughout the festive season as well as a traditional Christmas Day lunch, including a visit from Santa followed by Boxing Day celebrations.
You can also bring in the bells at New Year at New Lanark’s amazing Hogmanay Gala Dinner.
Edinburgh Libraries are developing a new Future Libraries Strategy that will provide a framework for service delivery and development for public and school libraries over the next five years.
To help shape the new strategy and inform future proposals for change, Council Committee agreed to carry out an engagement and consultation process to gather feedback from individuals, groups, and stakeholders across the city.
The first stage of the engagement process was successfully carried out earlier this year, and I’m pleased to let you know that the next stage of our “Future Libraries” consultation is now live and will run until 18 December.
As a valued stakeholder, we would appreciate your involvement and to hear your views and ask that you complete the consultation questionnaire which can be accessed here https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/futurelibraries
Over 14,000 individuals, groups and organisations provided feedback in our initial engagement activity held between 26th January 2024 – 19th April 2024.
We have now considered the views and ideas that were gathered through this activity alongside our existing data on service use and knowledge of how the service operates and have used the information to shape our new draft Future Libraries Strategy 2024 – 2029.
The information has also helped to inform the identification of potential options for change to library opening hours and how the service manages events and activities. Both the draft Strategy and information about the potential options for change are available at the above Future Libraries website.
You can also find our Engagement Report there, which provides a summary of the findings from the engagement process. We hope you will find it of interest and that you might find some time to give us your views on the draft Future Libraries strategy and any proposals for change to opening hours and how the service manages events and activities by completing the consultation questionnaire.
We would also appreciate your support in ensuring the questionnaire is promoted widely and reaches as many people as possible including those who do not currently use library services. It would therefore be very helpful if you are able to let your service users, clients or group members know about the questionnaire and encourage them to provide us with a response.
The Leith Collective at Fort Kinnaird is launching its annual winter coat exchange tomorrow (Tuesday 1st October) to provide the local community with access to pre-loved coats for free during the colder months.
The independent store, located between Mango and WHSmith, is inviting local residents and businesses to donate good quality winter coats they no longer need, with men’s and children’s coats in highest demand.
Members of the local community will then be able to browse the collection of coats instore and pick up one up for themselves and their family, completely free of charge, with no questions asked.
The initiative builds on last year’s success, where more than 10,000 coats were donated and distributed across the region.
Sara Thomson, founder of The Leith Collective, said:“People often discard their old coats or leave them hidden at the back of a wardrobe when they are still in perfectly good condition and could provide someone else warmth over the winter months.
“A comfortable winter coat is a basic necessity, but for families that have been continually stretched, it can be yet another essential item that they are having to sacrifice, so we invite anyone who needs support to make use of the service this year.
“We’re also very grateful to everyone who donated last year, and hope people are able to support again this year, our only ask is that the coats donated are still in a good quality condition and that all personal belongings have been removed from the pockets.”
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with The Leith Collective and the hugely important initiatives Sara and the team run all year round to benefit our local community – and the winter coat exchange plays a huge part in this.
“Not only has it provided valuable support to those who need it most for three years running, it also offers shoppers the opportunity to make sustainable choices for pre-loved coats that they no longer need. I look forward to seeing the impact I’m sure it will have again this year.”
The Leith Collective showcases the work of more than 300 artists and makers from all over Scotland, brought together by a common aim to reuse, recycle, and reclaim. It resells items that may otherwise have been destined for landfill and all of its stores also host a range of creative workshops focused on sustainability.
As Mental Health Awareness Day approaches on October 10th, former MP Craig Mackinlay is using his platform to call for urgent improvements in sepsis aftercare and mental health support for survivors.
In a new episode of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, released in September for Sepsis Awareness Month, Mackinlay shares his personal story of survival after losing both hands and feet to sepsis and becoming a quadruple amputee. Now known as the “Bionic” MP, Mackinlay is a powerful advocate for change.
Mackinlay, who received prosthetics after his sepsis ordeal, criticises the NHS for its inadequate provision of prosthetic limbs, saying, “What the NHS is currently giving out in terms of prosthetics does not do mental health any good.”
He explains how poor access to high-quality prosthetics leaves survivors unable to regain their independence, deeply impacting their mental well-being and ability to return to work.
The economic impact of sepsis-related disability is substantial, with many survivors unable to work due to long-term physical and cognitive effects. The UK Sepsis Trust estimates that 40% of sepsis survivors suffer from ongoing complications, leading to lost productivity and increased financial strain on both families and the economy. Mackinlay highlights how providing better aftercare and mental health support could prevent thousands of cases of long-term disability, allowing survivors to contribute to society and reduce the overall economic burden.
Mackinlay’s advocacy aligns with the UK Sepsis Trust’s recent Step Up campaign, which calls on the government to improve outcomes for sepsis survivors. The campaign’s key demands include:
Measurement and publication of sepsis care performance data – to ensure better accountability and improve NHS care standards.
Integration of rapid diagnostics – allowing healthcare providers to diagnose and treat sepsis faster, preventing severe disabilities and reducing the long-term economic impact.
Increased public awareness of sepsis symptoms – ensuring that early intervention prevents life-altering complications like limb loss.
The charity’s Change.org petition calling for public support of the asks has accumulated nearly 50,000 signatures: https://chng.it/5dnys44wvt
Dr Ron Daniels, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, also highlights the “postcode lottery” in sepsis care, noting that a recent University of Manchester study found that people from socioeconomically deprived areas are nearly twice as likely to die from sepsis.
Both Mackinlay and the UK Sepsis Trust emphasise the need for a national effort to address these disparities and improve both physical and mental health care for survivors.
As the UK Sepsis Trust raises awareness this Sepsis Awareness Month, this episode of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron brings attention to the need for systemic change in sepsis aftercare and the importance of recognising the mental health toll on survivors ahead of Mental Health Awareness Day.
MUSIC FANS INVITED TO ‘HAVE THEIR SAY’ ON SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL MUSIC PRIZE
Scotland’s national music prize, The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award, today invites music fans to ‘Have their SAY’ and vote for their favourite Scottish album.
The SAY Award’s 72 hour public vote is open now, meaning the public can back their favourite Longlisted album to secure its place on 2024’s Shortlist: remaining in the running to win the coveted title and £20,000 first place prize.
The free vote is now open via www.sayaward.com – fans have 72 hours to back their favourite record, with a diverse range of albums in the running from the likes of Arab Strap, Barry Can’t Swim, Becky Sikasa, Theo Bleak, The Snuts and more.
Voting closes 11.59pm Wednesday 2nd October.
Plus, The SAY Award has revealed 2024’s judging panel includes Scottish actor and comedian Karen Dunbar, author Doug Johnstone, BBC Radio Scotland presenter Stephanie Cheape, V&A Dundee Director Leonie Bell, Amazon Music’s Hazel Berry and more.
Music fans can vote once per person, choosing between 20 albums on The SAY Award Longlist, from trad to jazz, metal to indie and more. The album with the most public votes will be guaranteed a place on the 10-strong Shortlist, taking home a minimum prize of £1,000 and remaining in the running to win the title of Scottish Album of the Year and a £20,000 prize.
The SAY Award Longlist
Afterlands We Are the Animals in the Night
Amy LaurensonStrands
Arab StrapI’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore
Barry Can’t SwimWhen Will We Land?
Becky Sikasa The Writings and the Pictures and the Song
Bee AshaGoodbye, Gracious
Blue Rose CodeBright Circumstance
Broken ChanterChorus Of Doubt
corto.alto Bad With Names
Dead PonyIGNORE THIS
Empire State BastardRivers of Heresy
Fergus McCreadieStream
Kathryn Williams & Withered HandWillson Williams
Lucia & The Best BoysBurning Castles
Malin LewisHalocline
Mama TerraThe Summoned
Rachel SermanniDreamer Awake
rEDOLENTdinny greet
The Snuts Millennials
Theo Bleak Pain
The nine other albums on the Shortlist will be chosen by an esteemed judging panel, chaired by culture journalist and music professional Arusa Qureshi. The Shortlist will be announced Thursday 3rd October, with The SAY Award winner unveiled at this year’s Ceremony, taking place on Thursday 24th October at Stirling’s Albert Halls.
Buy tickets for The SAY Award Ceremony now via www.sayaward.com.
Robert Kilpatrick, CEO and Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) said: “Each year, The SAY Award public vote is a chance for music fans to have their SAY and help determine the Scottish Album of the Year.
“The public’s choice will be guaranteed a place in this year’s Shortlist, securing them a minimum prize of £1,000 and keeping them in the running to win the overall prize of £20,000.
“We encourage music fans across Scotland to get involved, back their favourite record and have their SAY by taking part in the public vote. Best of luck to this year’s Longlist – it’s a truly fantastic snapshot of Scottish music from the past year, and we’re looking forward to celebrating these records and more, at The SAY Award Ceremony next month.”
2024’s judging panel will reconvene at The SAY Award Ceremony to choose the ultimate winner. This year’s judging panel is: Alistair Braidwood (Owner/Host, Scots Whay Hae!), Briana Pegado (Author & Founder, Good Trouble Co.), David Pollock (Journalist), Doug Johnstone (Author), Hazel Berry (Artist Relations & Amazon Originals Lead, Amazon Music), Karen Dunbar (Comedian/Actress/Entertainer), KevTame (Music Industry Professional, Welsh Music Prize Organiser), Leonie Bell (Director, V&A Dundee), Paul Bonham (Professional Development Director, Music Manager’s Forum), Sabrina Henry (Head of Programme, CCA), Stephanie Cheape (Singer/songwriter and BBC Introducing Presenter, BBC Radio Scotland).
All shortlistedartists receive a trophy designed by Dunblane glass maker Elin Isaksson via The SAY Award Design Commission, as well as a prize of £1,000. The SAY Awardwinner takes home the ultimate prize of £20,000 plus a bespoke trophy, which will be made from recycled and molten glass.
One of the most highly anticipated nights in Scotland’s musical calendar, music fans can buy tickets to attend The SAY Award Ceremony, joining an audience of artists, industry professionals, press and cultural tastemakers to celebrate outstanding Scottish music, with a series of special live performances on the night.
The SAY Award judging panel will reconvene to select 2024’s Scottish Album of the Year Award winner, exclusively announced at 2024’s ceremony, alongside this year’s Modern Scottish Classic and Sound of Young Scotland winners.
The SAY Award is a Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) production. The SAY Award 2024 is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, Stirling Council, Stirling Alive with Culture, Seabass Vinyl, Ticketmaster, Help Musicians, HMV, FOPP, PPL, the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative, Youth Music, Music Declares Emergency and Hotel Colessio (hotel partner for The SAY Award Ceremony).
The SAY Award’s charity partner is Scotland’s national children’s and young people’s mental health charity, Tiny Changes, set up in memory of Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison to help young minds feel better.
Two iconic tourist attractions, one unforgettable event, and two inspirational individuals from Edinburgh have received recognition at Scotland’s premier tourism and events awards.
Five businesses and individuals from the city received awards at the Central and East of Scotland Thistle Awards regional final at Sheraton Grand Hotel, Edinburgh last week (Thursday 26 September).
The Scottish Thistle Awards, with headline sponsors Johnstons of Elgin, celebrate the very best of the tourism and events industry. They have become an annual celebration of excellence, collaboration, and innovation within one of the country’s most important sectors.
2024 saw more than 700 entries submitted by individuals, businesses, events, and community organisations in the bid to be recognised for the role they play in making Scotland a must-visit, must-return destination.
Winners from across the city include:
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions which took home two awards. Edinburgh’s oldest visitor attraction was named Tourism & Hospitality Employer of the Year and winner of the Climate Action Award, which celebrates businesses making significant progress towards net zero.
Judges praised the Edinburgh attraction for its environmental sustainability practices and supportive work environment.
Andrew Johnson, General Manager at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions said: “We are very grateful to the judges for these prestigious awards and to our dedicated team for their tireless efforts.
“Their commitment to enhancing our facilities and visitor experience has been invaluable. Thank you to our visitors for continuing to enjoy our unique offer of interactive fun.”
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30th Anniversary Celebration won the award for Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival.
The category recognises the outstanding cultural events and festivals that are part of Scotland’s tourism offering.
In 2023, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay once again welcomed the world to party in Scotland’s capital, celebrating a milestone 30th anniversary with a spectacular programme of world-class events. Produced by Edinburgh creatives Unique Assembly, over 100,000 revellers partied their way into 2024 at a 4-day carnival of fire, light, music, and dance.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival Directors Penny Dougherty, Dani Rae, Nik Whybrew and Al Thomson said:“We are immensely proud that Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has been recognised at the Thistle Awards.
“Reaching a milestone 30th anniversary in 2023, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay goes from strength-to-strength, and we can’t wait to welcome the world to party at the Home of Hogmanay again this year.
“A huge thank you to the incredible Unique Assembly team and all our event partners who make the festival happen.”
The Best Visitor Attraction award was presented to The Scotch Whisky Experience with judges impressed by the attraction’s clear culture for innovation including several examples such as tasting and story-telling experiences.
Susan Morrison, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Experience said: “We are thrilled and honoured to receive the award for Best Visitor Attraction. A huge thanks to our amazing customer-facing and support teams.
“This award is truly the culmination of everyone working together to welcome the world and help them on their journey to fall in love with Scotch whisky.”
Meanwhile, Annika Schneider, PA to the Chief Executive at The Scotch Whisky Experience, received the Rising Star Award, sponsored by HIT Scotland. This new award recognises the achievements of passionate and enthusiastic individuals at the start of their careers in tourism and hospitality.
Susan Morrison added: “We are incredibly proud of Annika and delighted that with the Rising Star award, she has the recognition that she deserves.
“From day one, she has been a joy to work with, an amazing colleague and addition to The Scotch Whisky Experience team. Inquisitive and creative, Annika epitomises our values and is a worthy Rising Star award winner!”
Amanda Wrathall from the EICC, won the Tourism Individual of the Year award. This award celebrates individuals who act as ambassadors for change within the industry, showcasing a commitment to tourism as a force for good.
The judges highlighted Amanda’s genuine love for her job and her industry and has a significant record of achievement.
Amanda is an Edinburgh local with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality and events industry, starting her career as a banqueting waitress to her current role as Sales and Marketing Director at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
On receiving the award, Amanda said: “To be recognised in this particular category is incredibly humbling. Tourism in Scotland thrives because of the multitude of talented and passionate people who choose to work in this brilliant sector.
“Whilst individual recognition is gratifying, for me, this award is shaped and shared with the inspirational colleagues I have been fortunate enough to work with over the last 35 years.”
VisitScotland Regional Director Neil Christison said:“Huge congratulations to all our regional winners for this incredible achievement.
“It is fantastic to see such recognition for the region’s vibrant tourism offering, as well as the passionate and dedicated individuals who work within it.
“I wish everyone the best of luck for the national final in November where they will be representing Edinburgh.”
The Scottish Thistle Awards champion innovation, collaboration, and sustainable practices, in line with the ambitions of the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030.
Responsible tourism is at the heart of the Scottish Thistle Awards, supporting the aim for Scotland to be recognised globally as a leader in this field. Entrants to all categories must evidence how they have embraced best practice covering the four key areas of a low carbon economy, inclusivity, thriving communities and Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage.
In addition to the Central and East Scotland Thistle Awards, VisitScotland delivers the West of Scotland Thistle Awards. The regional awards programme also includes the Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards (HITA), the Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards (ACSTA) and the South of Scotland Thistle Awards.
This year’s national sponsors of the Scottish Thistle Awards include headline sponsor, Johnstons of Elgin, as well as Abbey UK, LNER, The Macallan Estate, STV, Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises, Historic Scotland, and Fishers. The Scottish Thistle Awards also includes a media partnership with News Scotland including The Times Scotland and the Scottish Sun.
Exclusive and premiere screenings of visionary and unearthed masterpieces
Showcasing radical and incendiary works of cinema including The Hourglass Sanatorium, The Cremator, Intercepted, and The Devil’s Bride
Festival focuses on female filmmakers, unearthed surrealist and horror cinema, animation and short film gems
Samizdat Eastern European Film Festival 2024 programme features unearthed masterpieces, contemporary features and documentaries, uncategorizable animated oddities and short film gems.
Running from 1 – 5 October, the Festival showcases radical works of cinema at its partner venues Glasgow Film Theatre, CCA Glasgow and Summerhall Edinburgh. Several screenings will also be available to view through the Festival’s online partner Klassiki.
The Festival kicks off on 1 October at the Glasgow Film Theatre with a new instalment of bizarre, eerie, and unique Animations of the late Eastern Bloc(1980-1997).
A surgery is performed on a bust of Joseph Stalin, a yeti living in the mountains of Kazakhstan listens to The B-52s, a school of vengeful fish attacks a seaside village, and a man pawns his face to buy a lottery ticket.
This collection is of some of the most dreamlike and thought-provoking shorts from a time and place where the animated image served as a stage for unprecedented artistic and political expression.
The animation screening will be followed by a free-entry Opening Night celebration at the CCA Glasgow’s Third Eye Bar, featuring Samizdat-themed cocktails and a DJ set by Kernius Linkevicius.
Also at the Glasgow Film Theatre on 4 October, as part of Night Terrors: A Samizdat Special Horror Event, there is a special screening of The Hourglass Sanatorium (Sanatorium pod klepsydrą) (1973) with a recorded introduction by Prof. Ewa Mazierska.
This sublimely surreal Alice-in-Wonderland tale by renowned Polish director Wojciech Jerzy Has follows a young Jewish man named Joseph who visits his father in a sanatorium, only to find the place strangely abandoned. As he explores further through its labyrinthine rooms, he starts to lose all grip on time and reality.
As a follow-up to the main Festival, on 19 October, Samizdat will host a pop-up screening of Grigori Kromanov’s hypnotising sci-fi noir Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel (Hukkunud Alpinisti hotell) (1979), alongside a rerun of its programme of animations and shorts, at the Edinburgh Summerhall.
In the film, a police inspector arrives at a remote hotel in response to a call out: except there is nothing to investigate, yet. As he meets its strange guests, the hotel is cut off from civilization by an avalanche – and bizarre events start to unfold. The film screens with selected shorts and animations from across the Festival.
Also screening at the Festival between 1-5 October are:
Set in 1930s Prague, Juraj Herz’s masterwork of Czechoslovak New Wave, The Cremator (Spalovač mrtvol) (1969) follows Karel Kopfrkingl, a seemingly mild-mannered crematorium worker who becomes increasingly obsessed with the notion of death as a means of purification. As Nazist beliefs begin to infiltrate his worldview, Kopfrkingl’s twisted sense of morality spirals into madness, leading him to see his work as a divine mission to ‘save’ humanity by sending souls to the afterlife.
Screening for the first time with original English subtitles, The Touch (Прикосновение) (1989) takes place in the Kazakh steppe of the long-gone past as a nomadic blind girl with prophetic abilities crosses paths with a fugitive slave. Shot in mixed colour/black-and-white cinematography, this mythical story of tragic love is a hidden gem of the Kazakh New Wave.
A hidden gem of found-footage horror, Adrian Țofei’s directorial debut Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (2015) centres around an aspiring Romanian filmmaker (Țofei) whose obsession with Anne Hathaway manifests itself as a twisted desire to convince her to move to Romania and star in his projects. As he documents his endeavour, his obsession escalates, leading to terrifying and violent consequences for those caught in his orbit.
Banned by the Soviet authorities, the first Caucasus feature directed by pioneer woman-filmmaker Nutsa Gogoberidze (mother of Lana Gogoberidze, whose film Some Interviews was screened at Samizdat 2023) documents a mystical world on the verge of extinction.
Cheerless (Uzhmuri) (1934) was commissioned to celebrate the Communists’ drive to drain the Mingrelian swamps inhabited by the treacherous spirits ‘Uzhmuri’, according to local beliefs. The magical realist style of the film and its equivocal storytelling undermine this message.
In A Picture to Remember (Фото на пам’ять) (2023), part of Samizdat’s annual Ukrainian film programme, the war is narrated through the voices of three generations of women: A grandmother in occupied Donbass, a mother studying parasites one floor above a morgue in Kyiv, and a daughter trying to make sense of reality through a camera lens. The film is prefaced by an experimental Ukrainian short film In The Noise Of A Downpour.
A Lithuanian musical rich with traditional folklore imagery and explosive visual style, The Devil’s Bride (Velnio Nuotaka) (1974) sees imp Pinčiukas expelled from heaven and landing in a lake by a windmill. He meets the miller, Baltaragis and makes a pact, but when the little devil tries to claim what was promised, Baltaragis attempts to trick him, and chaos ensues.
Tonya Noyabrova’s coming-of-age drama Do You Love Me? (Ти мене любиш?)(2023) shows a meticulously recreated Ukraine of the 1990s through the eyes of Kira, a teenager whose most tender years are spent amongst the artistic intelligentsia against the background of a collapsing Soviet empire.
Oksana Karpovych’s searing documentary Intercepted (Мирнi Люди) (2024) is a profound exploration of the very nature of war. The film is composed of long shots of landscapes and interiors devastated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, overlaid with a voiceover of telephone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families that were intercepted in 2022 by the Ukrainian Secret Service.
As part of a curatorial partnership with the Borscht Film Club (part of the Beetroots Collective), Samizdat will also host a screening of The Balcony Movie (Film Balkonowy) (2021), a unique Polish documentary comprised of director Paweł Łoziński’s conversations with random pedestrians passing by his Warsaw flat’s balcony.
Funny, pensive, touching, or troublesome, these momentary encounters paint a vivid and strange portrait of contemporary society, with all its hopes and issues. Director Paweł Łoziński will participate in an online Q&A with the audience after the screening.
With last festival’s Short Film Audience Award going to Comrade Policeman by Kazakh director Assel Aushakimova, the festival is continuing and expanding its Short Film Competition. This year, 17 titles — from Estonia to Kyrgyzstan — will compete for the main prize, awarded based on audience voting.
Real and unreal, presence and absence, human and inhuman blur together in Dusan Milić’s tense anti-war thriller-horror Darkling (Мрак). In rural Kosovo of the 1990s, eleven-year-old Milica lives in a dilapidated farmstead within the Serbian enclave with her mother Vuckiva and despotic grandfather Milutin.
Every night after dark, an unseen force seems to terrorise the family and slaughter their livestock, but the increasingly paranoid and dangerously erratic Milutin obstinately refuses to leave what’s left of his home.
In Lighthouse (Маяк) (2006), a young woman returns to her childhood village from Moscow in the hopes of persuading her grandparents to leave the war-town Caucasus. However, any escape proves elusive. The first feature filmed in Armenia to be directed by an Armenian woman, Lighthouse is a languorous rumination on local connections, memory and loss.
Samizdat Film Festival Horror Strand Curator and Festival Director Harriet Idle has said: “I think that this year’s programme is truly special and offers something for everyone — whether you’re a devout horror fan, have a love for animation, or want to discover some of the artistic richness produced from this part of the world.
“It’s such a joy for us to showcase some really absorbing, visually stunning films that don’t always receive the visibility they deserve in Scotland.”
Dylan Beck, Samizdat’s new Guest Curator, says: “I’ve previously enjoyed the festival as an audience member, and it’s been a pleasure to join Samizdat as a guest curator for its third iteration!
“I’m excited to be introducing a couple of Baltic cinema classics and look forward to watching other curators’ picks. It’s great to see the interest in films from the region growing — and with it the event, too!’
Festival Manager Ilia Ryzhenko adds: “Now that the festival has entered its third year, we are less restricted by the need to prove that there is a real demand for cinema from the ‘Wider Eastern Europe’, including other post-socialist spaces.
“This allows us to really play to our strengths, experimenting with different formats, events, genres, and bringing our screenings to venues outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh.”
Several virtual screenings of films from the in-person programme and recorded events are accessible on the website of Samizdat’s partner Klassiki, the world’s only curated streaming platform for films from Eastern/Central Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. All virtual screenings and events are accessible to attendees who join Klassiki’s membership.
Samizdat strives to ensure that its line-up can be seen by as many people as possible, so most film screenings are priced on a sliding scale, where the attendees are invited to pay based on their preference and ability. Special events are sometimes priced differently.
The 2024 edition of Samizdat is supported by Screen Scotland’s National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Fund and Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funds from Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI. Samizdat’s event co-organised with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain is jointly funded by Awards for All Scotland.
Samizdat Eastern European Film Festival runs from 1 to 5 October and 19 October 2024.
UKHSA with DHSC and NHS to launch Get Winter Strong campaign to remind those at risk to get their vaccinations to fight off the onslaught of winter viruses
Latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows that over the past 2 winters (October to May, 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024) at least 18,000 deaths were associated with flu, despite last winter being a relatively mild flu season.
While pandemic restrictions and social behaviours saw flu levels fall dramatically for a few years, these latest mortality figures are a stark reminder that flu is a deadly virus, particularly for older people and other groups at greatest risk.
Of real concern is the drop in the flu vaccine uptake rates last winter across all eligibility groups in England compared with the previous year (1).
While uptake in older people last year remained high, only 4 in 10 (41%) people with long-term health conditions, just over 4 in 10 (44%) 2- and 3-year-olds, and just 1 in 3 pregnant women received the flu vaccine.
Evidence shows the significant impact from last year’s flu vaccine with a 30% reduction in the number of those aged 65 and over being hospitalised and a 74% reduction in those between 2 and 17 years of age.
In the same two-year winter period the estimated number of deaths associated with COVID-19 was just over 19,500.
To help reduce the impact of winter viruses on those most at risk, as well as ease NHS winter pressures, UKHSA – with Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England – is set to launch a scaled-up Get Winter Strong campaign on the 7 October.
The campaign will urge those eligible to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccination when invited, ahead of winter, targeting those at greatest risk and for the first time will encourage pregnant women to also get their respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough vaccination.
Last year saw a sudden increase in the number of people having to be hospitalised, due to a flu peak in the week leading up to Christmas and then again at the end of January.
Pregnant women and older people aged 75 to 79 are also eligible for a RSV vaccination for the first time this year, with the maternal vaccine providing strong protection for newborns in their first few months, when they are most at risk of severe illness from RSV.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, UKHSA Deputy Director of Immunisation: “As winter approaches we see many dangerous viruses circulating in our communities including flu, which tragically can kill thousands of people every year. Getting vaccinated ahead of winter is by far your best defence.
“If you’re pregnant or have certain long-term health conditions, you are at greater risk of getting seriously ill. Older people and young infants with flu are also much more likely to get hospitalised.
“So if you or your child are offered the flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccines, don’t delay in getting them. Please speak to your nurse or doctor if you have any concerns.”
Maryam Sheiakh, a mother from Manchester, recounts the fear and anxiety she went through 2 years ago, when her then 4-year-old daughter, Saffy, spent more than a week at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital after being admitted with flu, suffering with a severe cough and high temperature.
She was transferred to a High Dependency Unit as she was struggling to breathe and needed oxygen.
Maryam said: “I was seriously concerned we might lose Saffy. I honestly thought she might die from this. I was so distraught watching her struggling to breathe day after day, worried about her breathing difficulties and getting oxygen to the brain – would she be the same little girl before she got ill?
Thanks to the NHS staff, Saffy made a full recovery and, now aged 6, is thriving. Maryam, a nursery teacher, is now urging all parents to vaccinate their children to ensure they have the best protection against flu: “Just go and get it, don’t take the risk. No parent wants to watch their child suffer like we did with Saffy.
As of last week, millions of eligible people in England can now book their flu and COVID-19 vaccines through the NHS, with appointments starting from 3 October. For their RSV jab, pregnant women and older adults should speak to their maternity service or GP practice to arrange it, as the NHS rolls out additional protection for those most at risk ahead of winter.
Steve Russell, NHS National Director for Vaccinations and Screening: “Today’s data showing there were almost 20,000 deaths associated to flu over the past 2 winters is a shocking reminder that this is a seriously dangerous virus, and I urge those who are eligible to book their vaccine appointment as soon as they can as it is our best way of protecting those who are vulnerable as winter approaches.
“Thanks to the hard work of our NHS staff, life-saving flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines are being rolled out across the country in places that are as convenient as possible for people who need them. Flu and COVID-19 jab appointments are now available to book via the NHS website, the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free – making it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated.”
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne said: “I encourage everyone who is eligible to get their flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccinations as soon as possible. They are without doubt the best way to protect yourself from these viruses that can cause serious harm.
Every year the World Health Organization recommends which strains should be included in the flu vaccine, with the UKHSA contributing to this work. Vaccines are then developed to help fight off the types of flu viruses expected to be circulating in the coming season. As the viruses can change every year, and protection from the vaccine reduces over time, it is important those eligible get a vaccine every year.
The Get Winter Strong campaign will run for 10 weeks and will appear on broadcast TV, on demand and community TV, as well as radio channels, outdoor poster sites across England and on social media channels.
AND IN SCOTLAND …
Vaccination will be offered to those at high risk of serious illness from flu and COVID-19. If you’re eligible, you’ll be contacted with information about your appointment.
For more information about the vaccine and eligibility, visit:
Vaccination will be offered to those at high risk of serious illness from flu and COVID-19. If you’re eligible, you’ll be contacted with information about your appointment.