Cinetopia: Recommends, 17-23 March 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... 🎉
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AROUND TOWN
Film screenings & events in Edinburgh and Glasgow 🍿
EDINBURGH
FILM SCREENINGS:
Reclaim The Frame presents a special preview of SANTOSH + Q&A / A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her late husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India, as her only entitlement to financial support. When a low-caste Dalit girl is found dead, Santosh is pulled into the investigation and into the brutality of the law enforcement system of which she is now a part. Q&A with writer - director Sandhya Suri / The Cameo / 17 March, 6.15pm
Hundreds of Beavers + Q&A / Join star Ryland Brickson Cole Tews and the beavers for HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS... LIVE! In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America's greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers / The Cameo / 18 & 19 March, 8.30pm
Also on at GFT, Glasgow on 22 March, 7.15pm
Baltimore / This thriller focuses on the true story of a 1974 art heist in which 19 paintings were stolen with the aim of financially supporting the IRA/ Grassmarket Picture House / 19 March, 7pm
A Radiant Girl / Une jeune fille qui va bien / Paris, summer 1942. Irene is a young, bubbly, 19-year-old Jewish girl. Her family watches her discover the world, friends, new love and a passion for the theatre. The aspiring actress is living her youthful life without a care in the world, but she does not know that time may be running out. / The French Institute / 19 March, 2pm
The Truth / La vérité / The Edinburgh Film Guild presents: Beautiful, troubled Dominique Marceau (Brigitte Bardot) comes to bohemian Paris to escape the suffocation of provincial life, only to wind up in a courtroom, accused of murdering her lover (English subtitles) / The French Institute / 21 March, 6pm
Special Screening of Itu Ninu + Q&A / In a highly controlled smart city in the year 2084 two climate migrants try to connect by writing old-fashioned letters to each other. Organised by Screen Academy Scotland, followed by a Q&A with Mixtec director Itandehui Jansen and the producers / Everyman Cinema / 21 March, 3pm
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Film Screening / A beautiful, lyrical exploration of memory, moving through, and across decades of one Mississippi woman’s life - organised by Local Cinema Network / McDonald Road Library / 22 March, 3pm
Conclave / Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with overseeing the election of a new pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church / St. Joseph’s Balerno / 22 March, 7pm
Folktales for New Scots - FREE Street Projection Event / FREE evening of storytelling, art, and video projections on the theme of Scottish folklore - organised by Beetroots Collective CIC / West Crosscauseway / 22 March, 7pm
EVENTS:
Edinburgh University International Film Festival trivia night! / Coco Boho / 19 March, 7.30pm
Film Club: Red Road / 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! / Bennett’s Bar / March 20, 7.30pm
Edinburgh Film Seminar: Emma Wilson / A talk by Professor Emma Wilson (University of Cambridge) titled '"I came into the room of paintings": Real interiors in Jane par Charlotte". In this seminar, Emma will talk about houses and apartments, about paintings, photographs and interiors, in the work of French women filmmakers. / 1.06 Project Room, 50 George Square / 20 March, 5.30pm
Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme / The Japan Foundation, London has run an annual Japanese film programme with UK partners since 2004. They curate themed selections of contemporary, classic, and anime films that deserve UK exposure. Their programme highlights Japanese cinema's trends, versatility, and uniqueness / THE CAMEO / Until 31 March various times
Catalan Film Festival / The Catalan Film Festival returns for its 10th edition with screenings across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Inverness. This year's programme aims to celebrate the profoundly creative moment currently taking place across Catalan cinema. Enjoy features, shorts, director Q&As, talks, and our first even audience award / VARIOUS VENUES / Until 30 March various times
Image provided by CinemaAttic
GLASGOW
FILM SCREENINGS:
German Cinema: Bis hierhin und wie weiter? (Stick together) / Free screening - In 2021, a group of young people go on hunger strike in Berlin's government district to draw attention to the climate crisis. Filmmaker Felix Maria Bühler accompanies five of them over the course of a year and offers an insight into the climate movements in Germany / Goethe Institute / 17 March, 6.30pm
Rooted: Growing a Local Food Ecosystem Film Screening / Free screening of Rooted: Growing a Local Food Ecosystem + panel, audience discussion, and vegan food. / Glasgow Community Food Network / 19 March, 6.15pm
Why We Ride - screening + discussion / An exciting film evening centred around cycling, followed by an interactive discussion with guests from local organisations - by GSA / Glasgow School of Art- Reid Building / 19 March, 5.30pm
Glasgow Film Club: Dunkirk / Glasgow Film Club is a place for our audience to socialise and explore the films in a way that is meaningful to them. It takes place after GFT’s monthly Sliding Scale Screening (choose from paying £0, £2, £4, £6, £8, £10) / Glasgow Film Theatre / 19 March, 6pm
Oíche Scannáin/Film Night: 'Kings' / 'Kings' tells the story of a reunion of men who left the Conamara Gaeltacht in the mid-1970s, bound for London and filled with ambition / Grace’s Irish Centre / 19 March, 7pm
Seeding: Film Screening & Community Meal with Glasgow Seed Library / Join us with Seed Librarian, Hamshya Rajkumar to explore the history & political nature of seeds. / Ruchill Golf Pavillion / 20 March, 6pm
Wanda Rutkiewicz, The Last Expedition + live online Q&A with director
Eliza Kubarska / The mystery of the disappearance of pioneering Polish mountaineering icon Wanda Rutkiewicz, who disappeared in the Himalayas in 1992 - presented by Polish Film Club Borscht / Pyramid at Anderston, Glasgow / 21 March, 7pmSecond screening in Edinburgh on 23 March, 7pm, Southside Community Centre
Workers of the Sham / Ramadan Mubarak! We would like to welcome you back to our first screening of the year exploring the worker struggle in the Sham (Levant) countries - organised by Solidarity Screenings Glasgow / Listen Gallery / 22 March, 5.30pm
Visible Cinema: RCS Curates Deaf Shorts / A creative collaboration between the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s BA Performance in BSL and English students, Glasgow Film Theatre and Glasgow Short Film Festival, promoting Deaf culture and championing Deaf-led/interest film. / Glasgow Film Theatre / 22 March, 12.30pm
EVENTS:
Filmmaking Workshops for QTIPOC+ / “Collaging our Films” SQIFF and Exhale Group CIC filmmaking workshop session for QTIPOC+ to learn and experience accessible ways to make a film. / Transmission Gallery / 30 March 2pm
Glasgow Short Film Festival / Starts on Wednesday this week their opening event, The Disco: A Portrait of Simon Eilbeck, will debut visual artist Alex Hetherington’s sound and image portrait of Queer d/Deaf DJ Simon Eilbeck. - see the full programme here - 19-23 March, various venues around Glasgow
FURTHER AFIELD AND FURTHER AHEAD!
Film-related treats happening around the UK!
BO’NESS - HIPPFEST/ HippFest is here! Scotland’s first and only festival of silent film with live music, centred in and inspired by Scotland’s first and oldest cinema; featuring exceptional screenings, commissions, workshops, community events… / Bo’Ness HIPPODROME / 19-23 March
MONTROSE - Harvest / Join LandxSea for the first screening in our new monthly series at the Montrose Playhouse! Be among the first to see HARVEST before its official cinema release. Following its acclaimed Scottish Premiere at Glasgow Film Festival, this gripping, folk horror-inflected drama is a striking portrait of land, power, and displacement. / Montrose Playhouse / 3 April, 5.30pm
LONDON - Kim’s Video + DIRECTOR Q&A! / Cinetopia (yes, us!) are taking Sundance documentary Kim’s Video on tour. A madcap quest to find the lost 55,000-videotape archive from NYC’s cult Kim’s Video rental store, this is a genre-bending film perfect for lovers of physical media, cinema, and video culture!/ The Garden Cinema / 15 March, 6pm
ISLE OF ARRAN - As The Tide Comes In / We’re also screening As The Tide Comes In in partnership with Take One Action! and with the support of Screen Machine and Regional Screen Scotland on Arran - in Brodick! A meditative documentary about a tiny Danish island community under threat from rising waters. / Brodick / 19 March, 8.30pm
Bounce Cinema Short Film Night + Networking / Bounce has partnered with BFI NETWORK for a special short film night. Join us for an evening of great storytelling, new talent, and live Q&A’S. On the night, we’ll showcase a collection of short films funded by BFI NETWORK alongside shorts we admire from around the world. / Richmix / Shoreditch / 19 March, 7.00pm
OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS / WORK OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP:
Screen Education Edinburgh has a number of positions:
Seeking to recruit a new Chairperson, Secretary, and additional Trustees to our Board, including those with skills or experience in the following areas.
- Education
- Film and TV production
- Fundraising, development, and sponsorship
- HR
- Youth and community development
Operations Coordinator - Leith Theatre / Responsible for overseeing daily logistics, providing excellent customer care and helping to manage the wide range of activity hosted by Leith Theatre / Apply before 28 March
Communications Assistant, BIFA / BIFA is looking for an enthusiastic, proactive Communications Assistant to support our communications across all of our activity - industry and public facing / LONDON / Deadline 21 March
Creative Learning and Education Officer / Send your CV and a cover letter to john.kirkland@birkscinema.co.uk / BIRKS CINEMA TRUST, ABERFELDY / £36,000 per annum / Deadline, 21 March
Producer, Manipulate Arts / Leading on delivery of all our projects and activities including the international Manipulate Festival / SCOTLAND / £35,000 per annum, Deadline, 24 March
Film-poem collaboration - Sue Mara Photography / Artist-writer seeking art film maker who would be interested to explore a film poem/poetry-film collaboration / Deadline 30 April
COURSES & WORKSHOPS:
Introduction to 2D Drawn Animation Course / This 4 day course will consist of practical workshops that will focus on world-building and creating short animated sequences with 2D Digital drawing techniques, 8-11 April / NFTS SCOTLAND / Apply by 24 March
Learn the Art of Directing - a Workshop / Join award-winning director John McPhail for a full-day workshop designed to enhance your filmmaking skills in a practical, hands-on setting / Gmac Glasgow / 5 April, 10am-5pm
Screen Combat Course / Learn smallsword stage and screen combat, putting performance in action through choreographed swordplay - organised by Stage Fight Scotland / From 7-12 April
NFTS: Interviewing for Documentary and Factual Filmmaker / From actuality interviews to formal sit-downs, we will spend two days developing your interviewing skills and experimenting with different techniques and approach / NFTS Scotland / 8 & 9 May
Story for Pitch Decks / You’ve got a great idea and a script you think industry producers and execs should read. But how do you convince them? 2 day course. / ONLINE / 6 + 20 June
FUNDING / AWARDS / FESTIVALS:
FESTIVALS LOOKING FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS:
Central Scotland Documentary Festival / Celebrates creative documentary and non-fiction filmmaking, curated and presented by Macrobert Arts Centre, taking place 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2025 / Deadline: 21 March
SQIFF - Scottish Queer International Film Festival / Open for short film submissions to the 2025 edition of their festival that runs 28th October – 1st November. Submission fees are pay what you can / Deadline 20 April
LandxSea Festival Montrose / Scotland’s leading environmental film festival, we celebrate bold, thought-provoking storytelling that challenges, inspires, and connects audiences to the planet’s most pressing issues / Submissions close on 21 April
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 / Festival will run from 14-20 August / Deadline: 18 April
Edinburgh Short Film Festival / The 15th edition with International Film Festival showcases, more short film screenings, trophies, cash prizes and awards! / Regular deadline 16 May
FUNDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS:
BFI Network Short Film Fund I Awarding National Lottery funding between £5,000 and £25,000 to support shortform live action, animation and immersive/virtual reality. / Deadline, 25 March
Slick Films Fund / Slick Films invites writers, directors, and producers from all over the world to submit their original, compelling narratives for a chance to receive £10,000 in production funding. / Deadline 25 March
Scottish Delegation at Sheffield DocFest 2025 / We invite Scotland-based emerging talent as well as established producers and filmmakers to apply for a funded opportunity to attend the festival as delegates - From Scottish Documentary Institute / Apply before 28 March
Film Hub Scotland Film Exhibition Fund / Apply for up to £10,000 / First deadline, 28 March
CABN Small Grants Fund / A fund offering awards of up to £2000 to creative practitioners living in the Scottish Borders by the Creative Arts Business Network / Deadline, 31 March
Culture & Business Scotland Fund / Culture organisations in arts and heritage can now apply to the C&BS Fund, designed to support innovative and mutually beneficial partnerships between culture and business organisations across Scotland, for up to £1 for every £2 of sponsorship invested by business organisations / Until 31 March
The Female Voices Short Film Fund / Grants of up to £7,000 / $10,000 are available towards the production costs of all scripted genres and documentary short film content / Deadlines: Regular: 31 March
Screen Scotland Market & Festival Attendance Fund / This fund supports the progression of film and TV projects through attendance at key UK (outside of Scotland) and international markets and festivals / Until 1 April
Screen Scotland Distribution Fund / Supports the distribution of Scottish feature films to reach a wide and diverse audience in Scotland / Until 1 April
Changing Perspectives Film Fund / UK Jewish Film is delighted to announce the launch of a new film fund for 2025, which will support the production of three high-quality, dramatic short films (approximately 15 minutes each), aimed at teenagers, and set in present-day Britain / First deadline 21 April
Vimeo Short Film Grant / Lights, camera, funded 🎬 We’re delighted to support the next generation of filmmakers with the inaugural VIMEO Short Film Grant, Presented by Nikon USA and @reddigitalcinema - Apply before 18 April
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
Reel Impact / Igniting change and creating equity for Black and Global Majority professionals in the TV and Film industry, from WFTV - grants for individuals and organisations / Sign up here for news of the next round of funding
NEWS:
Film stories, productions, news, reports, industry insights, and other tidbits that have caught our attention this week!
Scottish film locations see surge in visitor numbers — see the full list 🏰
Ireland is the best place to be a freelancer in the screen sector! 🍀
Oasis film by Peaky Blinders producer being made to accompany Oasis reunion tour 🎸
Film Festivals currently running / coming up:
Manchester Film Festival / 14-23 March / Manchester
Glasgow Short Film Festival / 19-23 March / Glasgow
Hippfest Silent Film Festival / 19-23 March / Bo’ness
Berwick Film & Arts Festival / 27-30 March / Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Cinéma du réel Documentary Festival / 22-29 March / Paris, France
CPH:DOX / 19-31 March / Copenhagen, Denmark
Queer East Film Festival / 17-28 April / Multiple locations, UK
Alchemy Film & Arts / 1-4 May - Hawick, Scottish Borders