Cinetopia: Recommends, 16-22 June 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... 🎉
Beloved readers, how ardently we admire and love you! 💖Here’s your weekly film happenings drop!
BUT FIRST…
THANK YOU to those who have very kindly donated to our Ko-Fi fund that helps support the work that goes into getting this newsletter and social media coverage out each week! We appreciate every penny 💯
This newsletter is written out of love (for free!) and a mission to support film-related activity all support is greatly welcome 😀🙏
For now, if you want to show support financially, can DONATE the cost of a coffee to keep us fuelled and motivated!☕ CLICK TO DONATE
Not able to donate? Here are other ways to show support that really help:
Share this newsletter on your socials
Repost it to your own Substack feed
Send it to a friend with a recommendation to subscribe
Mention us on your social feeds and let your film-loving friends and followers know about us!
THANK YOU! AND HAPPY MOVIE-WATCHING 🍿
Want to feature your screening, event, opportunity or news for free! Simply complete our: EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES SUBMISSION FORM.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS CURRENTLY THE ONLY GUARANTEED WAY TO GET FEATURED (we do our best to trawl all the sites every week, but submitting to us directly makes sure we see it!)
If this newsletter gets cut off half-way click to view the full version here.
AROUND TOWN
Film screenings & events in Edinburgh and Glasgow 🍿
EDINBURGH
FILM SCREENINGS:
BOOK AHEAD: The Edinburgh Filmhouse’s opening programme is now live and bookable - OPENS ON 27 JUNE! Team Cinetopia’s Emma will be seated for Oppenheimer on 70mm…👀 Here are some highlights from the opening programme (per their instagram)!
- A love letter to cinema with Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso
- Martyn Robertson’s acclaimed new film Make it to Munich, followed by a Q&A
- The Adventures of Prince Achmed with Sink Music
- A free double bill of Edinburgh filmmaker Matt Palmer's Calibre (2018) and Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
- A programme of 'missed' films that deserve to be seen on the big screen
- 70mm presentations of Brady Corbet’s award-winning The Brutalist and Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer, and Robert Egger’s Nosferatu on 35mm
A Fistful of Films - An Evening of Scottish-produced Western Films | Yeehaw! Saddle up and join us at for a rootin' tootin' good time. Get ready to experience the Wild West like you've never seen it before, Scottish style! From rugged landscapes to daring outlaws, these films will transport you to a world of adventure and excitement. So grab your cowboy hat and mosey on down for a night of film fun. See you there, partner! | The Wee Red Bar | 18 June, 7pm
The Room Next Door (2024) | Almodovar's English-language debut stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore as friends reunited in an extreme but strangely sweet situation. Light refreshments will be available for sale. Grassmarket Community Project is a wheelchair-accessible venue. | Grassmarket Community Picturehouse | 18 June, 7pm
Green Tide / Les algues vertes | Not less than 3 men and 40 animals were found dead on the Breton beaches. The identity of the killer is an open secret: green algae. Inès Léraud is still a young journalist when, driven by an ecological conscience, she decides to go to Brittany to investigate this phenomenon. Through her encounters with whistleblowers, scientists, farmers and politicians, she elucidates, not without difficulty, half a century of silence: samples that disappear in laboratories, bodies buried before being autopsied, influence games, pressure… Will the truth win? | in French with English subtitles | French Institute | 18 June, 2pm
Javad Daraei: Two Dead Films and One Still Alive | Filmmaker Javad Daraei will present two short films made in Iran alongside footage from a new film that he is currently developing in Scotland. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the artist. Javad Daraei is an award-winning filmmaker, playwright, and theatre director whose work explores themes of human rights, war, trauma, and resilience. Beginning his artistic journey in Iran, Javad worked as an underground filmmaker, creating socially conscious films that highlighted the struggles of marginalised communities, particularly LGBTQ individuals and people with disabilities. | The Cameo | 18 June, 7pm (no ads or trailers)
Edinburgh Shorts Showcase presents A MONTH IN THE MOUNTAINS | Follow Jamie Aarons' on her record-breaking Munro round, a self-propelled adventure covering 282 peaks, 1,600 miles, and 444,000 feet of elevation. Showcasing not only Jamie’s endurance and Scotland's beauty but also the amazing community that came together to support. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and networking after. This Screening is Wheelchair Accessible and will be subtitled and BSL Interpreted. | The Cameo | 19 June, 8pm
LOVE & TROUBLE + Q&A Join Cinetopia for a special Q&A screening, in collaboration with Dartmouth Films and producer Sonja Henrici, of award-winning filmmaker Amy Hardie's new documentary LOVE & TROUBLE + a Q&A with director Amy Hardie and the film's protagonists, Kenny and Kerry Watson, moderated by Cinetopia’s Amanda Rogers.
Kenny and Kerry both come to their wedding with high ideals and hidden pasts. Filmed over the first ten years of their marriage, Love & Trouble explores identity, shame, anger and love. A rollercoaster of horses, race-cars, therapy, psychiatric drugs and wild swimming. | Cameo Picturehouse | 19 June, 5.30pm
Atmosphere | Maurice | Based on E.M. Forster's posthumously published novel, the film tells the story of Maurice Hall (James Wilby), and his complex relationships with two men: upper-class Clive Durham (Hugh Grant), and working-class Alec Sudder (Rupert Graves). The story explores themes of love, identity, and the societal norms of Edwardian England. We're marking Pride weekend in Edinburgh with this event, as the film offers hope. It was groundbreaking on release in 1987 for its depiction of a gay relationship, marking a shift in how LGBTQ+ stories were told in mainstream cinema. It remains a seminal work for director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant, full of passion and desire. Hosted by New Media Scotland | Lauriston Castle | 20 June, 7pm
Refugee Week Film Screening @ University of Edinburgh | Join us on World Refugee Day (20 June) to view and discuss two incredible films about displacement. This event is hosted by Education Beyond Borders and the One Health FIELD Network. |
Programme:
Life is Beautiful by Mohamed Jabaly (1 hr 36 min)
My Refugee Life by Zozan Yasar (University of Edinburgh Master's student) (26 mins)
Discussion (15-20 mins) - We will be joined by Zozan to hear about why she made 'My Refugee Life' and open up the floor to the audiences reflections on the two films.
| f 21, 7 George Square | 20 June, 2pm
Mr HJMs' Terrible Tales Tours (& local creepy creative movie night) | On this "pay what you can" tour Edinburghs' own Mr Heebie Jeebie Man will take you in and around the dark side of the city of Edinburgh - an entertaining and informative tour unlike any other. The tour will finish in the cinema room within the Underground City in the haunted Banshees' Labyrinth with an optional invitation to see a unique showcase of local creative and creepy movies. Guests are welcome to just join the tour or attend the screening but are more than welcome on both. Tour is not suitable for children or under 18s as it contains scares, unsuitable material and bad language. If you'd like to come along and wish to donate on the night this is also possible. | Banshees Labyrinth for film, or Meet for tour at Starbucks/Police box 124 High St | 20 June, 9.30pm
EVENTS:
Film Club: I Saw The TV Glow | The Edinburgh ‘Like A Book Group But With Films’ Group meets in the pub every other Thursday to chat films and TV! Come along, it’s fun! | Bennets Bar | 19 June, 7.30pm
GLASGOW
FILM SCREENINGS:
Visible Cinema: RCS BA Performance in BSL and English Showcase | Join us for our monthly deaf-friendly screening event! A showcase of student films from the RCS' ground-breaking course. Featuring 4 shorts written by, directed and featuring BA Performance final year students, made in collaboration with the BA Filmmaking course. This evening will a chance to watch the latest films as well as a few from the archives, followed by a discussion led by cinematographer Will Clark. Join us to celebrate the next generation of Deaf creative talent. | GFT | 17 June, 6pm
TILKA Documentary Screening + Q&A | TILKA: Making theatre amid Lebanon's collapse. TILKA is an intimate portrait of five women who come together to create a collective piece of theatre with Seenaryo amid Lebanon’s collapse. Najah, Tima, Rania, Fatima and Fida meet in March 2021 for an artist’s residency in the mountains outside Beirut. As the country grapples with collapse, TILKA weaves together their individual stories with a shared story of displacement, motherhood and hope told through the play. | Civic House | 17 June, 6pm
The Lotus Club: Documentary Series | Documentaries curated by two Glasgow-based Japanese journalists. “Design Kimono - Koji Yoshie” (2017, 28 mins)
“Live a tradition in Maramures, Romania” (2014, 26 mins). What are traditional art forms? How can they be preserved and developed further? A Kimono designer in Kyoto, Japan, and a folk musician in Maramures, Romania, talk their views. | Glasgow Museums at Kelvin Hall | 18 June, 6pm
CinemARC: Carbon Shorts with Glasgow Short Film Festival | Inspired by the Bengaluru Science Gallery exhibition CARBON: Under Pressure, on display at the Advanced Research Centre between 3 and 29 June, the ARC and Glasgow Short Film Festival have teamed up to explore the social, cultural and environmental impacts of carbon across the globe. Before the screening, hear from Dr Ewan Gibbs, School of Humanities, about the how fossil fuel extraction has shaped Scotland’s past and present. | Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow | 18 June, 6pm
Glasgow Film Club Takeover: Winners | Join us for the second Glasgow Film Club Takeover. We will be joined by the community members of Central and West integration Network (CWIN) who have selected the film for this evening and will be taking part in our post-film discussion. CWIN is a network of groups, agencies, and individuals who seek to ensure refugees, asylum seekers, and BME communities have access to resources that improve their standard of living, alleviate poverty, and promote integration within the wider community.
Winners: In a small provincial Iranian town, the children work hard to support their families. One day nine-year-old Yahya and his friend Leyla find a precious statue. Sharing a passion for cinema, Yahya's boss Naser Khan decides to help them find the owner. | GFT | 18 June, 6.10pmInclinations Film Club - Rosetta (35mm) | Join us for this rare 35mm screening of ‘Rosetta’. The film follows the beating heart of a Belgian teenager struggling to find and hold onto a job, while living in a trailer park with her alcoholic mother. The camera tracks her perspective faithfully, bearing witness to the loneliness, hunger and constant fear without sentimentality. The directors described it as a ‘war film’. Palme d'Or - Cannes Film Festival, Best Actress - Cannes Film Festival, Dir. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne | CCA | 19 June, 8pm
FieldARTS x Water As Method symposium on Submerged Cinemas | The concluding event of the Water as Method symposium invites audiences into a riverine and lagoonal cinema, with an evening of moving image and discussion with FieldARTS artists, presenting films by Hope Strickland, Ifor Duncan, and Sonia Levy and discussion moderated by Fred Carter. Engaging with rivers and lagoons as political, material, and mnemonic bodies, these films explore hydrological geographies as archives of colonial extraction, environmental degradation, memory, and resistance. | CCA | 20 June, 6.30pm
Building Solidarity & Kinship Short Film Screenings + Panel | We are featuring a selection of short films followed by a panel discussion exploring the Festival's theme Milestones and elements connected to finding refuge and belonging and the importance of community building.
The selected films are
Mark Thomas, Permissible Beauty (2023)
Baz Sells, Two Black Boys in Paradise (2025)
Theo Panagopoulos, The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing (2024)
Adéráyọ̀, DISSONANCE (2025)
After the screening we are joined by the directors Adéráyọ̀ Adenekan and Theo Panagopoulos, community organisers Mahasin from Exhale Group, Solidarity Screenings, and Xuanlin Tham the author of Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex Scene to discuss the themes mentioned and share reflections. | Kelvin Hall | 22 June, 1pm
Children of Heaven + short - Pay What You Can | Join Garnethill Multicultural for a special screening of their short film. Made with Tricky Hat Productions, the Listening To Our City project is an ongoing Glasgow-based project involving people who have experience of the asylum seeking and refugee process.
Children of Heaven has been selected to screen alongside the short by members of Garnethill Multicultural Centre’s Conversation Cafe – a free weekly event bringing together local residents and new Scots as well as anyone who just wants to improve their conversational English. | GFT | 19 June, 2.30pmS/He is Still Her/E - The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary | Genesis P-Orridge lived their art to the extreme. A pioneering musician, avant-garde artist, spiritual explorer and gender revolutionary, Genesis has been featured in films and videos, but never the full story… never this intimate... until now. In this authorised but raw and personal documentary, award-winning director David Charles Rodrigues (Gay Chorus Deep South) documents the final year of P-Orridge’s existence as they grapple with mortality and, in the process, reveal the many sacrifices and ultimate payoffs of a life that transcended boundaries. | GFT | 20 June, 5.50pm
EVENTS:
Rot Your Brain: A Television Reading Group | Discuss theories and themes in contemporary and past television. This month: Peep Show. This is an event for people who love television, history, and pop culture, who want to gain a greater understanding of television culture. Topics will include but are not limited to: television's political application, television and social progress, and television and identity. | Glasgow Zine Library | 19 June, 7pm
Pride Month: BFI Flare x BAFTA Panel | A conversation with Producer Isabella Bassett and Writer, Director & Performer Sarah Grant. In this Pride month event, BAFTA brings together two Scotland-based alumni from the BFI Network x BAFTA LGBTQIA+ mentorship programme (run in partnership with BFI Flare) to share their insights and experiences, explore what changes they’d like to see in the film and television industry, and remember the media that shaped them. | The Social Hub Glasgow | 19 June, 6pm
Gleaning Knowledge, Stories and Milestones. | A super 8 projector workshop with the Intercultural Youth Group. In this workshop, part of Refugee Festival Scotland, we will use a super 8 projector and super 8 film reels (blank or archived) to make a community film together. Participants will be given materials to physically scratch and draw onto the film. | Kelvin Hall | 20 June, 1.30pm
BOOK AHEAD: Little Pictures and Clanimation – Screening, Info Session and Networking | Join us at GMAC for a chance to learn more about Little Pictures, a short film comissioning scheme for new and emerging filmamkers – including those interested in animation. Little Pictures is looking for people aged 18 and over who are interested in writing, directing or producing films and are yet to receive their first short film commission. The programme is designed to support new filmmakers to develop their skills and encourage participants to take creative risks to inform their voice in filmmaking. | GMAC Film | 25 June, 7pm
FURTHER AFIELD AND FURTHER AHEAD
Film-related treats happening around the rest of Scotland and UK!
FIFE - Film night at the Hive for Refugee Week | Join Fife Climate Hub for a Refugee Week screening of Fremont, a touching migrant story on identity, belonging, and social inclusion. The film follows the journey of Donya, a young Afghan refugee who, having served as a translator for the U.S. army, now crafts fortune cookies in a factory in California. While trying to overcome her isolation, she decides to slip a message of her own into a cookie, and so the story takes an unexpected turn. | 10 Whytescauseway, Kirkcaldy | 17 June, 7.30pm
OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS / WORK OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP:
Camera Operator required for Fringe show! - PAID - I am bringing a show up to Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a full run at Gilded Balloon - a key element of the show is a live feed where we are looking to have a camera operator (in a static position for the whole show) to operate parts of the show to replicate an audition / casting workshop environment. The camera will be hooked up to a TV so the audience can experience what it's like inside an audition room. The operating will be quite straightforward, we need someone with a basic understanding of camera operating and framing. Dates needed: July 28th - 09:00 - 13:00 for tech rehearsal July 30th - August 25th (everyday except August 12th) - 11:20 - 13:00 (60 min show with 20 mins get in / get out either side) - sent in by Sophie Fisher - Find out more in the link! | Gilded Balloon | Dates between 28 July - 25 August
*CALL FOR ZINE WRITERS* - PAID - Whatever Pays The Rent - Whatever Pays the Rent is a one-woman led DIY community cinema project based in Birmingham. This autumn I will be hosting a season of films called Cursed! Which will focus on women on the edge of the horror genre. I will also be producing an accompanying zine and I need YOUR help to fill it!
I’m looking for personal-essays, opinion pieces, deep dives, love letters, social commentary, guides to the best female-fronted horror and in-depth analysis. Deadline to apply - 27 June | Click above to find out more about the entry requirements!
Marketing and Communications Manager - IberoDocs | Salary £3,174 (£15.87 per hour for 200 hours), Mid July – 5 October 2025 | Deadline 30 June
Content Creator (Photography/Videography) - Nordic Visitor | Full-time contract - includes travael across Scandinavia and northern Europe | Deadline 23 June
Head of Programme at Glasgow Film | Salary: £43,740 per annum | Apply by 20 June
Communications Officer - Luminate | Salary £27,000 FTE pro-rata (17.5 hours) plus pension. | Deadline 20 June
New Producer - North East Arts Touring | Salary: £13.60 per hour (FTE £28,288) | Deadline 23 June
Glasgow Film Chief Executive | Salary: £65,000 - £75,000 per annum| Apply by 23 June
Head of Engagement - Eden Court Theatre & Cinema | £38,000 to £42,000 per annum, depending on experience Apply by 23 June
Sales Assistant - Park Circus Films | Salary: £24,000 | Deadline 30 June
Finance Administrative Assistant - Park Circus Films | Salary: £24,000 | Deadline 30 June
Marketing Officer - HippFest, Falkirk | Salary: £13,560 - £18,306 (113 days @ £120 - £162 p/d). (FTE 0.4) (£27,120 - £36,612 per annum pro rata) | Deadline, 14 July
Marketing and Communications Lead - WHALE Arts | Permanent Part-Time 14 hours a week £26,326 pro-rata | Deadline, 14 July
COURSES & WORKSHOPS:
Careers in Scotland's Screen Industries | Join us in Edinburgh for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of one of Scotland's top studios, FirstStage Studios. This free in-person event, exclusively for careers leaders and advisers and supported by Screen Scotland, offers:
A behind-the-scenes tour of FirstStage Studios - home to acclaimed productions including The Outrun and two major Amazon series
Interactive hands-on sessions with industry professionals who specialise in cinematography, special effects, costume design and styling, teleprompting, location management, and more
A networking lunch with fellow Careers Leads and Advisers
Knowledge and inspiration to help you guide young people towards exciting careers in film and TV
FirstStage Studios, Leith, Edinburgh | 17 June, 9am - 5.30pm
Find out all courses and workshops across UK coming up in June/July from Into Film
Applications Open: BFI Film Academy Specialist Residential: Production Management | As part of the BFI Film Academy specialist course programme, applications are now open for our brand-new Production Management Course — an intensive, hands-on opportunity for aspiring film professionals aged 16 to 19 from across the UK. This programme is delivered by lead organisation Screen Education Edinburgh, in partnership with GMAC. | Course from 26 July - 2 August
MASO - Short Film Training Programme | Ambitious and aspiring filmmakers as well as seasoned professionals can benefit from the programme. Its aim is to promote the voices and ideas of creative people and, by doing so, create a more open, colourful, and diverse film and TV landscape. MASO is a safe space to create films and, above all, aims to reach talented people from underrepresented communities. An Advisory Board comprising international short films experts will choose who makes the final cut. | Deadline 30 June
Workshop: Working with influencers for cultural and creative organisations | People are primed to seek and follow the opinions and choices of others who they trust. Psychologists call this ‘social proof’ and it’s why influencers have huge potential to help you bring new audiences to you and your work. In this webinar, we’ll look at working with influencers on social media – not the unaffordable megastars, but micro and nano influencers who have niche, loyal followings in specific worlds that matter to you. | Webinar | 30 June, 10.55 am
BFI FAN: Green Hour - Ignite Local Climate Action | Learn how to connect with the climate movement in your community. In this session, we’ll be joined by T A P E Collective to hear how they blend cinema with urban foraging workshops, and Curzon Cinema to learn about their partnership with Sustainable Clevedon on a 2-day festival uniting cinema, action and community organising. | Online | 17 June,12pm
FUNDING / AWARDS / FESTIVALS:
FESTIVALS / ORGS LOOKING FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS:
Manchester Film Festival is proud to be a BAFTA Qualifying Festival for British Short film and a BIFA qualifying festival for both Shorts and Features | Mid-season deadline 22 July
Manchester Animation Festival | Hosted at HOME in Manchester, the festival brings one of the UK’s biggest animation hubs together and invites the international community to join us to delight in all things animated; working with organisations such as Aardman, Adult Swim, Apple, BBC, Blue Zoo, Cartoon Saloon, Disney, DreamWorks, Netflix, Sky and many more on special events and screenings. | Final deadline 18 July
London Breeze Film Festival | Calling black british filmmakers who are already doing the work - Introducing a brand new £10,000 fund, mentorship, and a UK premiere slot at London Breeze 2026 | Submit via MySmashMedia | Deadline 1 August 2025
The Activists Without Borders Film Festival (AWBFF) is an in-person event held in the UK, celebrating powerful documentaries and dramas that address critical issues such as human rights violations, the climate crisis, and social inequality. | Final deadline October 2025
FUNDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, MENTORSHIPS:
Royal Television School bursaries | We award bursaries to students from low income backgrounds studying any and all subjects as undergraduates or at HND Level 5 or 6. All you have to do is demonstrate your passion for pursuing a career in television, film, digital content production or related media industries in your application. | Deadline 24 June
New Producers: Applications Now Open | The New Producers programme provides four paid placements for individuals looking to create and produce film screenings in Scotland. New Producers will be supported with training and will work closely with their Host organisation to learn all aspects of programming, marketing and delivering film screenings. | Film Hub Scotland | Deadline 23 June
Channel 4 Opens New Writers Scheme | a one-stop-shop for new writers with a burning desire to write TV drama. It is open to unrepresented new writers looking for their first writing credit. This scheme is aimed at those currently underrepresented in the TV industry. We are particularly keen to hear from Deaf and/or disabled people, ethnically diverse people and people from lower socioeconomic groups. | Deadline 25 June
Local Events Open Fund 2025/26 | To support the aims of the Edinburgh Event Strategy, the City of Edinburgh Council has launched the Local Events Open Fund 2025/26. | Deadline, 10 July
Creative Scotland Open Fund for Individuals / Supporting the wide range of activity initiated by artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. / Until 8 October 2025
BFI Creative Fund Opens | UK screen organisations can apply for funding ranging from £12,000 to £150,000 | Ongoing until March 2026
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
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
NEWS:
Film stories, productions, news, reports, industry insights, and other tidbits that have caught our attention this week!
UK’s controversial Data Bill passes without Generative AI protections 👿
Edinburghers have been checking out the set of Ghost Writer - a new JJ Abrams sci-fi film starring Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell, shooting all over Edinburgh, including on Candlemaker Row, Chambers Street, and North Bridge.🎥
Edinburgh award-winner ‘The Ceremony’ picked up for UK-Ireland 👏
New research reveals loneliness driving poor mental health for film and TV workers 😔
UK department of culture faces cuts following government spending review
Film Festivals currently running / coming up:
Sheffield DocFest / 18 - 23 June - Sheffield, UK
Raindance / 18-27 June / London, UK
Docs Ireland / 24-29 June / Belfast, UK
Karlovy Vary Film Festival / 4-12 July / Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Cinema Rediscovered Festival / 23-27 July | Bristol, UK
Venice Biennalle del Cinema / 27 August - 6 September / Venice, Italy