Cinetopia Recommends: 1-7 December 2025

Film screenings, events, opportunities and film news for the week / month ahead, covering Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond! Helping you stay connected to the film community... 🎉

Nov 30, 2025

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AROUND TOWN

*XMAS GIFTING ALERTS*: BLACK FRIDAY DISCOUNTS on film lover’s gifts this weekend!! 🎄🎄🎄

Film screenings & events in Edinburgh and Glasgow 🍿

EDINBURGH

FILM SCREENINGS:

OUR PICKS FROM THE FILMHOUSE:

Stronger Than Love (Más Fuerte que el Amor, 1955) | This intoxicating melodrama stars Miroslava Stern as Barbara, a wealthy industrialist’s daughter whose desire for Carlos (Jorge Mistral), a former worker turned business partner, defies social codes and patriarchal control. With torrential storms, moonlit beaches and sweeping Cuban backdrops, Stronger than Love ignites with passion, situating female lust and agency at the heart of its fiery drama. - 2 December, 8.30pm
Hong Kong Film Festival UK:
- Queerpanorama (眾生相) - Hong Kong Film Festival UK | A gay man takes up a multitude of personas: an actor, a scientist, a teacher, an architect. His identity is constantly evolving - all impersonations, as he becomes his previous lover in the next casual encounter. A tender and introspective exploration into Hong Kong’s queer lives, led by a riveting and revelatory performance by Jayden Cheung in his acting debut. - 5 December, 6pm
- Spacked Out (2K Restoration) + Introduction | A rarely-seen landmark of Hong Kong independent cinema and a vivid time capsule of early 2000s fashion and culture. Spacked Out follows four teenage girls wandering around Tuen Mun, spending their days hustling for cash, taking drugs, and sleeping around: preferring the company of delinquents and triads over their parents, teachers, and unsupportive institutions. Includes an introduction from Dr Fraser Elliott, Hong Kong film specialist and co-founder of Leith Kino - 6 December, 3.30pm
- Montages of a Modern Motherhood | Over the last decade, Hong Kong has seen a new wave of social realist filmmaking with director Oliver Chan as one of its most exciting proponents. With Montages, she follows up her landmark debut Still Human (2018) with an acutely observed drama about a young baker, Jing, and the challenges she faces as the mother of a newborn, stuck between a pushy mother-in-law and an unhelpful husband. - 7 December, 3.30pm
John Waters’ Pink Flamingos | Divine is an infamous Baltimore criminal and underground legend, named by tabloids as “The Filthiest Person Alive”. She finds herself in a war with seedy married couple Connie and Raymond Marble, who launch an attempted campaign of humilation and degradation against her to steal that title. / 2 December, 6.20pm
The Wolves Always Come at Night | Immersive docu-western set in Mongolia, The Wolves Always Come at Night follows the story of a young couple left devastated by a sandstorm which kills their entire flock of sheep. Born to generations of herders in Mongolia’s immense Bayankhongor region, young couple Davaa and Zaya are raising their four children as they were brought up: with an intimate connection to the land and the animals they share their lives with. / 3 December, 5.50pm
Zodiac Killer Project + Q&A | Charlie Shackleton tried to make a true crime documentary. He failed. This is the story of what might have been. Hilariously self-aware and wholly original, Zodiac Killer Project sees Shackleton deconstruct the massive surge in popularity of the true crime genre, as he tells the story of his abandoned film on the infamous serial killer and how he saw it playing out. Followed by a Q&A with director Charlie Shackleton hosted by Paul Ridd (Director of EIFF). / 5 December, 8.30pm (also on at GFT, on 4December, 8.10pm with Q&A)
OUR PICKS FROM THE CAMEO:
- Preparation for the Next Life - Hosted By Esea Creatives | MilkTea are proud to be partnering with ESEA Creatives Scotland for this special community preview screening. Directed by Oscar nominee Bing Liu, the film follows a Uyghur woman, trained by her military father, who migrates to NYC where she finds herself labouring in Chinatown’s underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters a young American soldier who just returned from three tours in the Middle East. This ESEAHM screening comes with special treats - join us to find out what! - 6 December, 2.30pm
- Tetsuo The Iron Man | A strange man known only as the “metal fetishist”, who seems to have an insane compulsion to stick scrap metal into his body, is hit and possibly killed by a Japanese “salaryman”, out for a drive with his girlfriend. The salaryman then notices that he is being slowly overtaken by some kind of disease that is turning his body into scrap metal, and that his nemesis is not in fact dead but is somehow masterminding and guiding his rage and frustration-fueled transformation. | 3 December, 9pm
- Twilight - Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob? Does it matter? NO! 20 years since the book was released, and 17 years since Robert Pattinson caused a meltdown of fanfiction websites the world over. It’s Twilight time! | 5 December, 5.30pm
- The Holdovers - Officially a favourite Cinetopia Xmas movie! The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. | 6 December, 2.15pm & 7 December, 4.45pm

Around town:

DOCo#016: PORTENCROSS | A work-in-progress session on Matt Robinson’s experimental documentary Portencross, which follows experimental musician Richard Youngs as he explores 4 ancient steel buoys on the shore at Portencross. Join DOCo in giving feedback to Matt to help him shape his film. Free, open to film makers and non film makers alike / The Outhouse Bar / 3 December, 7pm
Cinetopia Salon#2 - Paris Qui Dort (1924) + Live Musical Accompaniment from Aurora Engine - A cultural evening of French-style apero drinks & nibbles, cinema, music, and conversation in the elegant surrounds of the French Institute! Experience Rene Clair’s magical silent sci-fi accompanied by the sounds of harpist and sonic artist Aurora Engine! | French Institute / 6 December, 6-10pm
Seeking Mavis Beacon - Palestine Fundraiser | Two filmmakers set out on a quest to find the titular star of the 80s typing software programme. Screening with a short film as part of this fundraiser event for families in Gaza, with 100% of proceeds from the event to be donated. With thanks to Jan A. who will be introducing the screening. / Leith Kino at Leith Depot | 7 December, 7.30pm
Materialists (2025) | Past Lives director Celine Song returns with this star-studded romantic comedy / Grassmarket Community Picturehouse | 3 December, 7pm
KILLA (BEFORE THE MOON RISES) | CinemaAttic presents a special screening of Killa (dir. Alberto Muenala), the first feature-length film written, directed, and produced by Kichwa filmmakers in Kichwa language. The screening will include an introduction and Q&A with Dr Peter Baker, Senior Lecturer at the University of Stirling, drawing from his research on the history of Kichwa cinema in Ecuador. | Suymmerhall / 4 December, 7.30pm (also in Stirling at MacRobert Arts on 3 December)

EVENTS:

Cinetopia Xmas Film Networking Night - Join us for our last film networking night of 2025, festive edition, and let’s celebrate together as a community! / Filmhouse / 4th December, 7-10 pm
Making Space - Local Filmmakers - A screening of four short films made by local artists, curated by Jaggy Bunnet Productions, followed by creative networking. / The Space, Dalry Road | 5 December, 8pm

GLASGOW

FILM SCREENINGS:

OUR PICKS FROM GFT:

The Shepherd & The Bear + Q&A | Set high in the majestic French Pyrenees, this documentary explores a conflict provoked by the reintroduction of brown bears in the midst of a traditional shepherding community. Through its breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling, this modern folktale tells of tradition, community and humanity’s relationship with a vanishing natural world. Director Max Keegan joins for a Q&A after the film. / 1 December, 8.05pm
Eyes of Wakanda (Episode 1 + Q&A) | The 2nd Animated Wednesday screening features episode one of Marvel Animation’s Eyes of Wakanda which was produced in collaboration with exciting talent in Scotland. Join some of the creative team and crew who helped bring the project to life and hear about their careers and experience on the Marvel show plus get to see some of this superb animated series on the big screen. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Exec Producer Andrew Pearce; Environment Supervisor Stevie Gill; Animation Producer Alexandra Cameron; and CG-Supervisor Georg-Sebastian Dressler. - then drinks at nearby Maldron Glasgow | 3 December, 6pm
Prime Minister | Winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Prime Minister is an intimate portrait of political icon Jacinda Arden. Going behind the scenes of her administration and her private life, Prime Minister follows Jacinda for seven years as she is catapulted to the top of New Zealand politics, becomes a feminist political icon, resigns suddenly from office and continues to champion the fight against isolationism, fear, and the distortion of truth. | 5 December, 6.20pm
Sunset Boulevard - 75th Anniversary - 4K Restoration | Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, an ageing silent film queen, and William Holden as the struggling writer who is held in thrall by her madness, created two of the screen’s most memorable characters in Sunset Boulevard. Winner of three Academy Awards, director Billy Wilder’s orchestration of the bizarre tale is a true cinematic classic. | 7 December, 5pm
Take 2: Arthur Christmas | Every child attending a Take 2 screening receives a free ticket for themselves and one free tickets for their accompanying adult. When Santa’s gawky son Arthur learns that owing to a technical malfunction a little girl’s Christmas gift has been misplaced, he sets out on a mission to deliver the present before it is too late. | 6 December, 11.30am

AROUND TOWN:

Girls’ Stories with Borscht Film Club | Borscht Film Club and Glasgow Women’s Library invite you to a powerful evening of film and conversation. Girls’ Stories is a rare documentary crafted for young audiences, directed by Polish filmmaker Aga Borzym. Following two teenage girls in contemporary Poland, the film explores identity, friendship, first love, and the tension between dreams and societal expectations. Stay after the screening for a live, in person Q&A with Aga Borzym. / Glasgow Women’s Library | 4 December, 5.15pm
Quiet On Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry? Screening + Q&A | Filmmaker Mark Forbes’ documentary examines the classism and power-play that has plagued the UK film industry for decades. As a self-taught, working-class filmmaker, Mark brings an urgent and personal perspective. Following the screening, Mark will join us for an in-conversation Q&A, reflecting on his journey, the making of the film, and its reception. / GMAC | 4 December, 6.30pm
P-Rock the Doc - Glasgow - Screening and Archive | Come watch P-Rock the Doc, buy a DVD and watch the old archive of the channel! In the boyband era of the early 2000s, TV channels didn’t offer much for the “alternative” music scene. Two South Londoners tried to change that, starting up their own music video channel, they soared above the top dogs, until they tried to bring them down.
Through Interviews with bands, fan’s and the creator’s of P-Rock TV we look into DIY nature of the punk, ska, “alternative” music industry. Shining a light on the community this music scene has as well as answering the age old mystery of what happened to P-Rock TV. / Nice n Sleazy | 7 December, 6pm

EVENTS:

Film and TV Networking Party - The Developing Room | Mingle with Film & TV industry professionals, make meaningful connections, and meet future collaborators! / A Hug & A Pint | 1 December, 7pm
The Art of Microcinema | Dive into the Art of Micro Cinema with puppeteer and film maker Gavin Glover and discover a world of surprising narratives and extraordinary theatre hidden right under your very nose. / House of Toad CIC | 7 December, 10.30am

FURTHER AFIELD AND FURTHER AHEAD

Film-related treats happening around the rest of Scotland and UK!

STIRLING: Blondes vs. Brunettes: A Hollywood Debate | A double-bill of Golden Age classics: ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘Gilda’ at Macrobert Arts Centre. / University of Stirling | 6 December, 5.15pm
EDINBURGH: Cinetopia DOC: Nightcleaners + Discussion Panel, 50th anniversary screening | 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Nightcleaners (Part 1) (1975), a landmark documentary and work of political art that captures the struggles of women working as night cleaners in London’s office buildings during the early 1970s and their early attempts to unionise. Followed by a hybrid panel discussion featuring members of the Berwick Street Collective. We will be joined in person by Humphrey Trevelyan, and via zoom: James Scott and artist Mary Kelly (who was also a member of the Cleaners Action Group). / Filmhouse | 10 December, 6pm
EDINBURGH: KIM’s VIDEO at Leith Kino! Two filmmakers attempt to locate where the wild and whacky VHS back catalogue of legendary NY video and music store Kim’s Video went to after the store closed. You’ll never guess where it ended up...Intro by Cinetopia’s Emma J. Tickets cost £5 and we have allocated handful of free tickets for those not in a position to pay. Please support your local Leith Kino! / Leith Depot / 14 December, 7pm
EDINBURGH: Special Section / Section spéciale - A German officer is murdered in Nazi-occupied France. Unable to apprehend the actual culprits, the collaborationist Vichy government decides to pin the murder on six petty criminals. Loyal judges are called in to convict them as quickly as possible. Winner: Best Director and Nominee for the Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival 1975. Part of the Edinburgh Film Guild Season at The French Institute / French Institute I 12 December 6 pm
EDINBURGH: Ukrainian Cinema: The Editorial Office | A young scientist travels across the Ukrainian steppe with a camera hoping to find an endangered groundhog, but comes across a crime that will change the trajectory of his life. Trying to expose the truth, Yura starts work at a local newspaper that, instead of helping him deliver justice, will send him through a rabbit hole and show him a society permeated by corruption. Fake news, local oligarchs, rigged elections, and bizarre cults are all framed by a looming war. / French Institute | 18 December, 6pm

CINETOPIA RADIO & PODCAST - NOVEMBER EDITION IS LIVE!

The Cinetopia monthly film podcast is back! This month Amanda is joined by Emma J, Cinetopia community manager, and Mariana Duarte author of Mars Too Many DVDs on Substack, to review: Jay Kelly, Wake Up Dead Man!, Bugonia and The Running Man. PLUS festival conversations and special interviews with Yi Wang (Queer East) and Richard Mowe (French Film Festival UK)!

➡️LISTEN NOW ON SPOTIFY, or APPLE PODCASTS

OPPORTUNITIES

JOBS / WORK OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP:

Volunteer Opportunity: Equipment Share @ The Film Cult - The Film Cult are looking for volunteers for their Equipment Share project which provides professional grade filmmaking equipment to hundreds of indie projects each year. We are a volunteer run project, which allows us to provide kit for our community for a couple of quid per item. Great initiative for local Edinburgh filmmakers!
Casting Call: Horror Feature Film | “5 victims of an apocalyptic death cult face the wrath of their former captor when he unleashes an otherworldly creature that can reach them no matter where they run!” Galaxy Class Pictures is entering production of a horror feature film, set to shoot in September/October next year. Casting for seven roles. For more details on roles and how to apply, click the link above! The job will pay union rates and food and transport will be covered. Applicants should ideally be based in or around Edinburgh and Glasgow, but we can be flexible if need be. / Apply asap
Volunteer Screeners - North East Film Festival | Unpaid position, but all Screeners are offered a 3-day Official Selection pass for the live festival screenings. / Apply before 31 December
Festival Volunteer Screeners – Women X Film Festival | Unpaid, 2 hours per week commitment. Apply by 15 December
Film Training Liaison and Projects Lead (London) at Independent Cinema Office| Full time, Salary: £37, 400 per annum, Fixed-term contract for 8 months, start date 2 February 2026. Apply before 2 December
Outreach & Communications Worker (2026 Film Tour) - Unsolicited Films | Support required for a small-scale UK screening tour planned for 2026. The film is a completed 57-minute independent documentary by Glasgow-based filmmaker Zac Burger. Fully remote, email based role, 25–30 total hours of work delivered over 8–10 weeks (roughly 3 hours per week). Fee: £1,800–£2,600, depending on experience. Deadline, 1 February 8.45am

COURSES & WORKSHOPS:

First Steps in Scripted -Pitches & Treatments | This one-day practical workshop introduces new and emerging writers to the professional world of pitching for scripted television. (Online, 28th January) with NFTS - Apply before 14 January
Unlock Your International Film Festival Brand | FREE WEBINAR: Place, Identity and Building an International Festival Brand. How do film festivals successfully build an international brand and attract people from all over the world? Run by ICO | 9 December, 2pm
BFI Film Academy Specialist Residential 2026: Film Curation and Archiving | Showroom Cinema - Do you have a curiosity in film preservation? Would you like to understand how to progamme archive or classic films? We are searching for talented, enthusiastic and hard-working 16-19 years olds from across the UK to take part in this week-long, in person residential course. The course is free to take part in, and we have a generous bursary scheme that can cover the cost of travel or access requirements to ensure that the programme is as accessible as possible. I Apply by 16th January 2026
Introduction to Digital Animation | In this beginner course, you will be introduced to the core techniques of 2D digital animation using Adobe After Effects on Mac computers. You will be supported to develop creative ideas through moving images, using storyboarding, composition design, and sound integration. Through hands-on exercises, you will build practical skills to plan and create short animated sequences. | Centre for Open Learning, University of Edinburgh | Starts 16 January 2026
TEACHERS’ ONLINE FILM AND SCREEN TRAINING SESSIONS | Online training sessions for teachers in the new Film and Screen curriculum.
Following the announcement of the national rollout of Film and Screen into the Curriculum for Excellence as an expressive art, Screen Scotland is delighted to invite all teachers in primary and secondary settings from across Scotland to participate in the first in a series of training sessions on delivering the Film and Screen Curriculum. | Screen Scotland | Online workshops will run on Tuesdays or Thursdays until 17 March 2026

AWARDS / FESTIVALS:

FESTIVALS / ORGS LOOKING FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS:
- SI-FAN 2026 - SI-FAN is Scotland’s newest genre festival, with the aim of being the coolest film festival in Scotland and supporting the genre filmmaking community here. SI-FAN (Scottish International Fantastic Arts Network) is open for short film submissions. There is a dedicated Scottish short film award category. Deadline to submit: 22 February 2026 at 23:55

FUNDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, MENTORSHIPS:

Call for Applications: FUTURE PROOF!! | From DOC Society and Fact Liverpool, a new development lab, FUTURE PROOF, is dedicated to innovative non-fiction cinema and immersive work. The lab will support emerging to mid-career UK-based directors and lead creatives who are working towards a feature non-fiction or ambitious immersive projects. Applications close 11 December.
Wee Wonders Scotland - Call Out - an early development animation talent development scheme which will support new and emerging filmmakers in writing and directing for animation by focussing on story development and authentic voices to produce four bold, brave, daring, animation shorts between 1-3 minutes in length. We encourage creatives from traditionally excluded backgrounds to apply. / Apply by 15th December
Alliance for Women Directors Mentorships - A competition designed to discover aspiring female-identifying directors with unique voices and provide a launchpad for their careers. Founded in 2019, The Women Directing Mentorship offers the prestigious opportunity to shadow a director on an episode of a Shondaland original series | Apply before December 18th
Creative Scotland Crowdmatch | We welcome applications from individuals, groups, and creative businesses seeking match funding of up to £10,000 per project. | Deadline 14 December, 11.55pm
Open Fund for Individuals (Creative Scotland) | Funding to support a wide range of creative activity initiated by artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. | Deadline 31 December, 23.55pm
PERIPATETIC SCREEN EDUCATOR PROGRAMME 2025/26 | Schools across Scotland are invited to apply to the Peripatetic Screen Educator Programme, which is part of the wider work to develop, test & evaluate a draft Film & Screen Curriculum for Scotland. | Screen Scotland | Deadline 31 December 2025
OPEN CALL: Final Checks Short Film Completion Fund | Need a final push to complete your short film? Opening Shot’s Final Checks fund is now open for applications. Apply for any amount up to £5,000. Deadline 30 January
NFTS Sylvia Anderson Scholarship | A new funding opportunity for aspiring storytellers, created in partnership with ITV Studios. The Sylvia Anderson Scholarship will support students on the NFTS’ world-renowned two year Screenwriting MA, ensuring that the next generation of screenwriters continue to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. | Starting Jan 2026
OPEN CALL: Community Filmmaking Workshops | Apply now to host a one-day introductory filmmaking workshop in your community. Opening Shot’s Community Workshops Fund supports locally rooted workshops across Scotland. | Deadline: February 2026
BFI Creative Fund Opens | UK screen organisations can apply for funding ranging from £12,000 to £150,000 | Ongoing until March 2026
Schools Screen Education Fund | Funding to support schools across Scotland in their delivery of film and screen education. £500 - £5,000 per project. | Screen Scotland | apply before March 2026
Meanwhile Use Fund (Glasgow) | The Meanwhile Use Fund, part of the City Centre Improvement Grant Fund, is designed to help organisations and communities in Glasgow city centre make use of empty or vacant properties. The fund aims to support projects that improve the city’s appearance and inclusivity. | Apply before 1 April 2026