We are excited to announce the screening of “When Fish Begin To Crawl” the Cameo Picturehouse in Tollcross on Tuesday 18th February followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers!
This is an award-winning film, co-directed by composer Jim Sutherland and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Morag McKinnon.
Created during the COVID-19 lockdowns, “When Fish Begin To Crawl” showcases the ecological importance of The Flow Country, the world’s most intact blanket bog ecosystem. Spanning Caithness and Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands, this ancient landscape plays a critical role in combating climate change.
The long-running Gaelic short film competition, FilmG, has released the shortlists ahead of the FilmG Awards in March, marking the biggest shake-up in categories in the competition’s 17-year history.
For the first time, there will be no Best Film category in either the -18 or 18+ competitions. Instead, the major prizes will now be awarded for Best Drama, Best Documentary, and Best Comedy—highlighting the breadth of Gaelic storytelling talent.
This year also saw another historic change: filmmakers were not given a set theme for the first time, allowing for complete creative freedom. The 127 entries across both competitions reflected the focus behind the scenes on development and progress.
Independent judges selected nominees across 15 categories, while the public will decide the final two awards through an online vote.
18+ Shortlists
All four films nominated for Best Drama are previous FilmG winners, including last year’s Best Film winner, Kayleigh Bell.
Three films stand out with three nominations each: Mhàiri Gillies from Skye and the duo of Eilidh Chandler & Rae MacIver for their respective documentaries, along with last year’s winner Luca Kerr for his drama ‘Geama’.
-18 Shortlists
Last year’s Best Film winner, Parker Dawes, picks up another two nominations, including Best Drama.
Only four other films collect multiple nominations – Gairloch High School, Sgoil an Taobh Siar, and Portree Secondary School each received two nominations, while the Comunn na Gàidhlig group from Harris received three nominations for their comedic take on the hit TV show The Voice.
Dingwall schools also had a strong showing, with two films nominated from Dingwall Primary and one from Dingwall Academy.
Murdo MacSween, FilmG’s Project Director, said, “It’s the strongest FilmG we’ve ever seen in terms of quality, and we have very competitive shortlists.
“The public vote has also been strong, so it’ll be exciting to see which two films come out as Scotland’s favourites!”
Alongside the competition, FilmG’s workshops, clubs, and activities continue to nurture the next generation of Gaelic storytellers, providing a pathway for aspiring filmmakers to enter the world of Gaelic media.
Maggie Taylor, Head of Publishing at MG ALBA, added: “FilmG is invaluable for Gaelic media, as it showcases all the new talent coming through.
“The judges have had a tough job this year, but we’re proud of all the filmmakers who have been busy across Scotland sharing their stories in Gaelic.”
The winners will be revealed at the FilmG Awards Ceremony at the SEC in Glasgow on Friday, 7 March 2025. You can watch all the films at www.filmg.co.uk.
Complete list of nominations:
-18
Best Drama
Cus – Gairloch High School Air Choire – Parker Dawes Spògan Buidhe – Portree High School FilmG Club
Seachad – Ullapool High School
Best Documentary
An Treasamh Sùil – Tomas Dimbleby Weber Òran na Cloiche – ‘Dà Bhogsa agus Bogha’ & Finlay Morrison Na Fònaichean Tha Sin..! Tràilleachd na Fònaichean – Sgoil Lìonacleit FORSAN – Rosa O’Halloran
Best Comedy
An Seachnadh – Dingwall Academy Na Mèirlich – Dingwall Primary School
Dè Nì Sinn? – Sgoil an Taobh Siar An Guth – CnaG Na Hearadh
Best Youth Group
Na Fuadaichean – Dingwall Primary School Pantar Phàislig – West Primary School, Paisley Muncaidh Bhreascleit – Sgoil Bhreascleit An Guth – CnaG Na Hearadh
Power of Gaelic Award
Nuair a bha mi Òg – Sgoil Uibhist a Tuath Seanchas na Fairge – Staffin School and CnaG Am Plana Gaoideach – Castlebay Community School Dè Nì Sinn? – Sgoil an Taobh Siar
The Creativity Award
Drogh Paitchyn / Clann Dona – Bun-scoil Ghaelgagh, Isle of Man A-mach ‘s A-steach – Oban High School
An Cluba Saidheans aig a Bh.Uas. Nic an Ceàrdaich – Calderglen High School, East Kilbride Faigh A-mach à Seo Mi! – Dunoon Grammar School
Technical Excellence Award
Parker Dawes – Air Choire Alasdair MacDonald – Baile Mhoire Uilleam MacDonald – Am Fiùran Alex Padarowski – Duine-èisg
Best Performance
Emily King – An Guth Eloise McNay – Geama Lexy Campbell – Cus Jonathan MacDonald – Spògan Buidhe
18+
Best Drama Air a’ Bheing – Kayleigh Bell & Adam Stewart Geama – Luca Kerr Falach-Fead – AllanWith1Eils Sinne, Nas Sine – Cara Turner & Kirsty McBain
Best Documentary Coinneach MacThòmais – Eilidh Chandler & Rae MacIver Orient – David O’Brien Anne Againne – Mhairi Gillies A’ Bheàrn – Jessica Deigan
Best Comedy Falach-Fead – AllanWith1Eils A’ Cluich – Rambling Celt Productions Ar Eilean Breagha – Eilidh Johnston Cunnart bho na Meanbh-chuileagan – An Clas Camelon
Best Cultural Film A’ Tilleadh Dhachaigh – Galson Trust Estate Coinneach MacThòmais – Eilidh Chandler & Rae MacIver Orient – David O’Brien Anne Againne – Mhairi Gillies
Best Music Video Cailleach Mhòr Stadhlaigh – Evie Waddell Tha Smeòrach sa Mhadainn Chiùin – Cashlin MacKenzie Mhic Iain ‘ic Sheumais – Dlù Chan Eil – Evie Waddell
Technical Excellence Award Rob MacNeacail – A’ Cluich Mhari Gillies – Anne Againne Cashlin MacKenzie – Tha Smeòrach sa Mhadainn Chiùin Rae MacIver – Coinneach MacThòmais
Best Performance Ró Ó hEadhra – Uisge-Bàis Evie Waddell – Cailleach Mhòr Stadhlaigh Kirsty MacArthur – Air a’ Bheing Rachel Kate MacLeod – Geama
As the appetite for South Asian content continues to grow across the UK, Vue Edinburgh Ocean is proud to be showcasing films from across the region throughout the year.
This month alone, Vue is screening four titles, kickstarting with Sky Force, a gripping story inspired by extraordinary true events surrounding one of the deadliest air strikes between India and Pakistan, and Deva (from 31 January) which follows a brilliant yet rebellious police officer who uncovers a web of deceit and betrayal while investigating a high-profile case.
Malayalam movie Praavinkoodu Shappu will be arriving at Vue next week (24 January). Set after hours at a toddy shop, it follows 11 people who have stayed inside, playing cards and drinking all night. When the owner of the shop is found hanging dead in the middle of the shop, SI Santhosh finds himself caught up in a web of mysterious and strange suspects.
Also arriving this month is the Tamil crime drama Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2 (from 31 January), following a loving husband and father drawn into a dangerous crime network.
Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue Edinburgh Ocean, said: “The appetite for South Asian films continues to soar and Vue is proud to champion this brilliant content.
“Dedicated film festivals and cultural events celebrating South Asia’s vibrant storytelling, coupled with increasing global recognition and growing audience demand, have helped shine a spotlight on this incredible industry.
“We’re proud to call ourselves home to so many brilliant South Asian titles this year.”
The revitalised Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has announced that its 78th edition will run from 14 to 20 August 2025. Submissions for the 2025 edition of the Festival open today (6 January 2025) via the Festival website.
Building on EIFF’s invigorated vision under new leadership from CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the Festival will continue to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media.
Further details on the 2025 Festival will be announced in the next few months.
Helmed by CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd, the Festival team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent. Ridd is supported by an expanding Board, including Teresa Moneo, Director of UK Film, Netflix; Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; Isla Macgillivray, Partner at Saffrey; and Romana Ramzan, Producer at No Code Studio; Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; and Vice Chair Amy Jackson, producer of BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun.
EIFF CEO and Festival Director, Paul Ridd said: “Our reborn Film Festival is now a major part of the excitement of August in Edinburgh when the city hosts the biggest and best Arts Festival in the world.
“We are delighted to announce our next edition in August 2025 and cannot wait to see the submissions that will come our way for potential selection in the new year.
“For my team there is no feeling greater than discovering something truly great for audiences, and knowing so many of our 2024 films have had lives well beyond our Festival is truly invigorating. Bring it on again!”
Criteria for submitting films to the Festival can be found via the Festival website at https://www.edfilmfest.org/submissions/ with submissions to open on 6 January 2025. More information will be released on the shape of the 2025 Festival, venues and key strategic partners in the coming months.
· CINEWORLD EDINBURGH MARKS ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS NOVEMBER, ALONGSIDE CELEBRATIONS OF NEW BLOCKBUSTER WICKED
· A DAY OF CELEBRATIONS WILL BE HELD AT FOUNTAIN PARK CINEMA ON SATURDAY 23RD NOVEMBER
· MOVIEGOERS CAN ALSO WATCH A RANGE OF CLASSIC BLOCKBUSTERS FOR £5* A TICKET
Cineworld, the UK’s leading cinema chain, will host an exciting day of celebrations on Saturday 23rd November at Fountain Park Cinema in Edinburgh to mark the cinema’s milestone 25th birthday. It comes as highly-anticipated blockbuster, Wicked, arrives in cinemas that same weekend and Cineworld will go all out to celebrate.
Fans can catch the dazzling spectacle, featuring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and adapted from the hit musical, in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX at Cineworld Edinburgh. Cinema-goers will have the chance to win Wickedmerchandise throughout the day including sweatshirts, notebooks, tumblers and t-shirts so they too can dance through life!
For those who book to see Wickedin 4DX or ScreenX during opening week, they’ll receive one free regular ICEE to match the iconic Wicked colours: Elphaba’s Emerald Green (Sour Apple) or Glinda’s Perfect Pink (Strawberry). While stocks last, guests will be able to purchase Cineworld-exclusive Wickedpopcorn buckets, cups and toppers as well as a Witch-hat drink container to enjoy their treats in style – the items are sure to be popular!
As Cineworld Edinburgh prepares for the arrival of Wicked, they’ll be looking back at past blockbusters and an incredible 25 year’s worth of highlights including:
Launching Cineworld’s first IMAX screen in 2011
Supporting EIFF as a major partner for 18 years
Hosting the Toy Story 3 premiere in 2012 with Sir Sean Connery in attendance
Launching our popular 4DX screen in 2017
Hosting the T2 World Premier in 2017 and completing our multi-million pound refurbishment in 2019 which included Scotland’s first Screen X!
Cineworld Edinburgh will also be celebrating the milestone birthday with a selection of popular films from 1999 available to book for the following week such as The Mummy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, James Bond: The World Is Not Enough and Sixth Sense – all available for £5* per ticket.
Jamie Wiles, General Manager at Cineworld Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone, especially in such a competitive market place, and are really happy to be able to celebrate with our valued partners, customers and employees.
“The past 25 years have been a hugely successful time for us; During this time, we have operated as Virgin Cinemas, UGC Cinemas and Cineworld Cinemas with our loyal customer base watching us grow and invest in the customer experience.
“We’re delighted to have become a part of the local community and have had the pleasure of striving to be the best place to watch a movie for our Edinburgh customers.”
Terms & Conditions
*95p online booking fee applies.
Wicked ICEE Promotion Terms & Conditions available HERE.
The Into Film festival opened yesterday across the UK and launched in Scotland at Edinburgh Zoo with a special screening of the critically acclaimed animated film Kensuke’s Kingdom, based on Michael Morpurgo’s best-selling book.
The event was hosted by young, Scottish actor, Aaron MacGregor who voices the main character, Michael, in the film. Kensuke’s Kingdom opened the Festival throughout the UK.
Education charity, Into Film Scotland, has launched the 11th Into Film Festival programme and bookings are now live for this year’s exciting edition in November (8-29) with over hundreds of free screenings and events in cinemas and extraordinary venues across Scotland.
The Into Film Festival is the largest of its kind in the world hosting up to half a million pupils and their teachers each year to the free event which showcases previews and classic film screenings hosted by special guests from the world of film.
As ever, the Festival offers students a magical, big screen experience and provides insight into the film industry with the talent that brought the films to life. All film titles are accompanied by film guides and resources that align with the curriculum.
The annual, ever-popular Festival Review Writing competition compliments the Festival programme and is designed to help learners gain clear educational value out of the cinema experience.
About Aaron MacGregor
Now aged 15, rising star Aaron MacGregor voices the character of Michael in Kensuke’s Kingdom, and has already starred in Netflix series SuperPupZ as the voice of Scottie dog Haggis, in animated feature Puffin Rock and the New Friends (West End Films/Cartoon Saloon/Dog Ears) as the voice of Marvin, as Finn in CBBC’s popular show based on acclaimed writer Julia Donaldson’s book series Princess Mirror-Belle and in hit historical drama series Outlander. He toured as Gavroche in the UK and Ireland No 1 Tour of Les Miserables (Cameron Mackintosh Ltd).
About Into Film
Into Film is the UK’s leading charity for film in education and the community. We provide screen industry careers information and advice via school careers leads and direct to young people; support and inspire young filmmakers; and bring the power of moving image storytelling into classroom teaching by providing training and resources.
We also run the annual Into Film Festival, which enables more than 400,000 pupils to visit the cinema for free, and the Into Film Awards – the UK’s leading showcase for young filmmaking talent.
The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen. www.intofilm.org
PICTURED (TOP): L to R: Santiago Otero Ferandez (St Mary’s Music School), Liana Ghotra (St Mary’s Music School), Aaron Macgregor, Abigail McQueen (Bruntsfield School), Kody Lam ((Bruntsfield School). Photo credit: Ian Georgeson
Vue venues in Edinburgh to celebrate all things Oz as popular adaptation hits the big screen
To celebrate the arrival of Wicked this month (22 November) Vue has announced a selection of spectacular treats for Ozians – including a special screening, a precious keepsake and the return of a classic.
Based on the award-winning musical by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked tells the untold story of the wonderful land of Oz, exploring the unlikely friendship forged between green witch Elphaba and the popular Glinda.
Starring Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and pop star Ariana Grande as Glinda, fans can expect favourite tunes such as Popular and Defying Gravity in all their splendour from the comfort of Vue’s luxury seating.
To add to the spectacle, Vue is inviting fans to an extra colourful screening of Wicked across sites on Saturday 23 November, where audiences are encouraged to wear an outfit or accessories that pay homage to the two iconic colours of the stage show, pink and green.
Those attending this special pink & green screening will be able to get their hands on a limited and unique LEGO piece which features a green potion bottle and pink rose, representing Elphaba and Glinda. This precious memento will only be available at Vue for this specific screening.
Vue will also be providing some wickedly fantastic merch to mark the release of the film, not to mention two exclusive Tango Ice Blasts – Defying Raspberry and Cherry Goodness only available at Vue.
Finally, ahead of the release of Wicked, Vue will be returning to Oz with a Back On The Big Screen release of the 1939 cinematic classic The Wizard Of Oz from the 15 November, offering Ozians an opportunity to adventure down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion once more.
Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue Edinburgh Ocean, said: “Wicked was an absolute sensation when it launched on the stage and we’re confident that the magic will translate onto the big screen.
“With tickets now on sale, we’re thrilled to invite Ozians and film fans alike to enjoy every musical note and magical moment of this spell-binding release on the big screen, all from the luxury of our comfortable leather seating and incredible surround sound.”
Our Through the Lens Programme is back and open to anyone aged 18+ (no upper age limit!) living in North Edinburgh, including Crewe, Drylaw, East Pilton, Leith, Newhaven, Muirhouse, Pennywell, Royston, Salvesen, Telford, Wardieburn, Waterfront, West Granton and West Pilton.
Learners on the course will get hands-on training in key filmmaking roles such as camera and sound, screenwriting, directing, producing, production design, and editing, also exploring film by watching and discussing films, before coming together as a crew to create a short film in your community!
The course also includes industry talks from professionals working in film and TV, social events including cinema trips, and progression advice and support.
Our Through the Lens programme is funded by Screen Scotland, The Robertson Trust, and City of Edinburgh Council, aiming to provide access to filmmaking in local communities, develop creative and transferable skills, empower individuals and communities, facilitate pathways to further opportunities, and promote diversity and representation.
No previous experience is necessary for this programme – just a passion for film. The course is free to take part, with snacks provided and bursaries available for those who require assistance with travel costs.
Sessions will take place every Tuesday, 6pm to 8pm at Screen Education Edinburgh, 30 Ferry Road Avenue, EH4 4BA on the following dates:
November: 12th , 19th , 26th
December: 3rd , 10th , 17th
January: 7th , 14th , 21st , 28th
February: 4th , 11th , 18th , 25th
Filming and editing days will be 10am to 6pm on the following dates:
To get into the spirit this Halloween season, some of the latest horror blockbusters – as well as creepy classics and enchanting family favourites – will be heading to the big screen at Vue venues in Edinburgh, providing a treat for people of all ages, tastes and fear factors.
Throughout October, a host of terrifying new releases as part of Vue’s Spooky Season are heading to the big screen with plenty for film fans to be grinning about, including Smile 2 on the 18 October– the follow-up to the horror hit of 2022.
About to embark on a new world tour, this sinister sequel follows a global pop sensation, who begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events revolving around smiling figures.
More frightfully fun blockbusters make their debut in October along with eerie family drama The Front Room (25 October), a new take of Stephen King’s iconic horror tale Salem’s Lot (11 October) and the return of cult favourite Art the Clown, who returns to cause havoc in Terrifier 3 which cackles onto the big screen on 11 October.
The tricks and treats don’t stop, as Vue’s Back on the Big Screen offering, is delivering some Halloween fun which is perfect for all the family including stop-motion animated icon The Nightmare Before Christmas on 25 October and the return of feelgood classic Ghostbusters, which celebrates its 40th anniversary back at Vue on 18 October.
Other classic Halloween films making their way back include cult classic Carrie which is fully remastered in 4K and A Nightmare Of Elm Street, which marks the 40th anniversary since iconic slasher Freddie Krueger first appeared on the big screen.
Naomi Scott stars in Paramount Pictures Presents A Temple Hill Production A Parker Finn FIlm “SMILE 2”
Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue in Edinburgh Ocean, said: “This Halloween, we’re thrilled to be able to put on a raft of new and classic films for our scary and spooky film-lovers.
“From family-friendly comedy horrors to cult favourites, we know how gripping scary films can be and want to provide the very best big screen experience for people to enjoy every laugh and every scare this October.”
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.
, co-directed by composer Jim Sutherland and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Morag McKinnon.
at: https://shorturl.at/NuM2u (discount code in our newsletter…)
