Cinetopia: Recommends, extended issue 12-25 May 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... 🎉
Dearest readers, welcome to a bumper edition of Cinetopia: Recommends covering two weeks. We’re taking a short holiday break from and will be back to regular weekly service from 25th onwards!
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AROUND TOWN
Film screenings & events in Edinburgh and Glasgow 🍿
EDINBURGH
FILM SCREENINGS:
ON FALLING - Local Cinema Network screenings | Set against a landscape dominated by an algorithm-driven gig economy, in a world designed to keep us apart, On Falling explores the silent, vital struggle to find meaning and connection. By Portuguese-born, Edinburgh-based filmmaker Laura Carreira, who debuted the film at Toronto International Film Festival 2024 and in Scotland Glasgow Film Festival 2025, will be present at the screening on 22nd May at Norton Park Centre and 24th at Community Wellbeing Collective | multiple locations and dates across May
CANNES MANIA: To celebrate the Cannes Film Festival, the French Film Festival and the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival are working together to bring a bit of Cannes glitz to Edinburgh! The films (one Spanish and one French) will be accompanied by showreels and introductions of what and who is hot on the Riviera, followed by a glass of rosé.
The films are:
We Treat Women Too Well (Spanish) Friday 16 May at 6pm Have a laugh in one of the darkest corners of Spanish history with Clara Bilbao’s debut black comedy.
Diary of a Fleeting Affair (French) Saturday 17 May at 6pm For his 11th feature film, the director, faithful to his focus on love, tells the story, in an elliptical style, of a torrid affair.
BOTH SCREENINGS AT THE FRENCH INSTITUTE
Care - Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion | Join us for a free screening of the documentary Care, followed by a panel discussion exploring residential care work in the UK. | 50 George Sq | 12 May, 5.30pm
Tummy Monster + Q&A | When a narcissistic tattoo artist (Lorn Macdonald) gets an unexpected visit from a celebrity client (Orlando Norman), a seemingly innocent selfie request causes the night to spiral into a bizarre and devastating game of psychological warfare. We are delighted to welcome writer/director Ciaran Lyons and lead actor Lorn Macdonald for a live Q&A following this screening. | The Cameo | 13 May, 8pm
They Move Mountains: Short Films Screening Event | A welcoming film evening for anyone loving alternative watching mountaineering films - sent in by Cocha Uma Social Climbing | Leith Depot | 15 May, 7pm
BSL Film Club - Deaf President Now! | Accessible screening and discussion of Deaf President Now! The story of the greatest civil rights movement most people have never heard of. | Deaf Action | 15 May, 7pm
E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea - A love triangle of jealousy in the Parisian art scene of the 1930s is brought to life in a stylish docufiction about iconic artist and architect Eileen Gray, who built her modernist dream house on the Riviera, only to be upstaged by Le Corbusier - submitted by Modern Films I Cameo Cinema I 16 May, 11.15 a.m
German Cinema at the Institut français d’Écosse: Curveball | Although he already has searched Iraq unsuccessfully for weapons of mass destruction as a member of a UN mission, German bio-weapons expert Arndt Wolf is still obsessed with the idea that Saddam Hussein is hiding something. (English subtitles) | French Institute | 20 May, 6pm
East of Eden (1955) | The James Dean classic | Grassmarket Picture House | 21 May, 7pm
A New Kind of Wilderness + Recorded Q&A | On a small farm in a Norwegian forest, the Paynes live a purposefully isolated life off the grid, aiming to be wild, self-sustaining, and totally free. However, when tragedy strikes the family, it upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society. Winner of World Cinema - Documentary at Sundance 2024, screening followed by a recorded Q&A with director Silje Evensmo Jacobsen | The Cameo | 21 May, 8pm
EVENTS:
Falastin Film Festival | Falastin Film Festival Scotland brings Palestinian cinema, culture, and art to Scotland, raising awareness of Zionist colonization. We strive to highlight Palestinian resistance, cultural pride, stories of love, and, in the words of poet Rafeef Ziadah, teachings of life.
9-10 May at CCA Glasgow
15-19 May at Scottish Storytelling Centre
Edinburgh Film Seminar: Judith Opoku-Boateng | A talk by Judith Opoku-Boateng (University of Ghana) titled 'Restitution, Repatriation, and Reclaiming Ghana’s Audiovisual Heritage'. | 1.06 Project Room, 50 George Square | 14 May, 11am
Filmmakers Circle with Ahmed Saleh | Join Scottish Documentary Institute for an intimate filmmakers circle led by Ahmed Saleh around memory, intangible reality, and how to capture past stories and experiences in film. This event precedes the live performance ‘Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine’ as part of Falastin Film Festival, a volunteer-run, not-for-profit collective of Palestinians and allies dedicated to sharing Palestinian stories and voices with Scottish audiences through the power of cinema and art. | Scottish Storytelling Centre | 16 May, 6.15pm
ESFF Basque Supper Club | We’re thrilled to announce the first ESFF Supper Club in partnership with Tapa. Join us for a memorable Basque evening | Tapa | 18 May, 6.30pm
Craft Club: Fantastic Mr Fox | Join us for a special crafting screening of Fantastic Mr Fox, where you're free to practice your crafts and share the cinema experience with your fellow guests. Lights will be left on throughout the show so that you can craft in comfort. An urbane fox cannot resist returning to his farm raiding ways and then must help his community survive the farmers' retaliation. | The Cameo | 17 May, 11.30am
FILM UND FOTO // I Am Martin Parr | Our bi-annual film club... about photography! The first 2025 instalment will feature Lee Shulman's latest film: I AM MARTIN PARR. | Edinburgh Photographic Society | 22 May, 9pm
Medfest Edinburgh - FilmMedicine Research network has teamed up with the middle Eastern festival Medfest, which brings doctors and film-makers together. It is led by Khalid Ali, stroke consultant, author, and cinema correspondent for the British Medical Journal, who programmes a wide selection of thought-provoking documentaries on mental and physical health. This is a place to discuss how film can impact medicine and how medicine impacts film. I Adam House Theatre I 23 May 10am - 4pm
Cinetopia Film Networking Night - May - Pop along to our next film networking mixer for some spring vibes, good conversation, and maybe meet your next film project partner?! 👀 Welcoming, friendly, informal - free to attend but PLEASE rsvp at the link! | The Blackbird | 29 May, 7pm
GLASGOW
FILM SCREENINGS:
Preview: Make it to Munich + Q&A | Make It To Munich follows Ethan Walker, who decides to cycle from Scotland to Germany for Scotland's opening match against Germany in Euro 2024 - just nine months after a horrific accident. Followed by a Q&A with Scottish director Martyn Roberts, cyclist Ethan, and former Rangers, Hearts and Scotland striker Steven Naismith | GFT | 15 May, 7.30pm
Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd + panel discussion | Five years since the murder of George Floyd – the police killing that set America on fire with rage and sparked a wave of protests around the world, director Kwabena Oppong's film explores one of the most important and defining events in modern history. This special screening will be followed by a panel discussion led by Barrington Reeves, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Scotland. | GFT | 13 May, 7.50pm
Hang the DJ + introduction | After 27 years, the groundbreaking documentary Hang The DJ, which first presented DJs as artists and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1998, returns for a UK tour. A very rare chance to experience this influential film on the big screen while supporting worthy causes. This special screening will be introduced by Joe Coghill of Never Sleep Records.
GFT | 14 May, 8pm
Visible Cinema: Persona | Join us for our monthly deaf-friendly screening event!
Stage actress Elisabet Vogler suddenly refuses to speak and goes to convalesce by the sea with nurse Alma, where a fraught battle of wills and identities begins. Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film was ranked 18th in the 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll. | GFT | 20 May, 5.50pmEat Sloans: Hairspray | A movie, Main, Drink & Popcorn - £20pp at Sloans. Hairspray: Tracy emerges from being an overweight teenager to a television superstar. However, her journey is interrupted when she becomes a victim of racial discrimination and decides to fight back. | Sloans | 20 May, 6.30pm
German Cinema: Images of the World and the Inscription of War | An essay in pictures on the difference between perception and industrial production. The film concentrates on photography and the use of pictures as well as the question of how the impact of war appears in reality. German with English subtitles | Goethe institute | 21 May, 6pm
Latin Connections Film Festival / CinemaAttic: The Trail Left By Time I a film that drifts between fiction and non-fiction, told with stunning sensitivity and a poetic realism reminiscent of the most lyrical and folkloric Carlos Saura I CCA I 22 May, 7pm
Oíche Scannáin/Film Night: 'An Cailín Ciúin' ('The Quiet Girl') | Set in 1981, the film follows a withdrawn nine-year-old girl who experiences a loving home for the first time when she spends the summer on a farm in Rinn Gaeltacht, County Waterford, with a married couple who are distant relatives. Mostly in the Irish language with English subtitles. | Grace’s Irish Centre | 22 May, 7pm
INTO THE VOID: COLLECTIVE DREAMS IN BRAZILIAN CONTEMPORARY CINEMA I This programme showcases a selection of contemporary Brazilian short films that reflect the country’s rich filmmaking talent and its political (and poetic) resistance, particularly during the years of the Bolsonaro presidency. These films, awarded at prestigious festivals like Locarno, Berlinale, and Cannes, delve into powerful themes of physicality, nature, transformation, and exploitation. I CCA I 23 May, 6.30pm
Take 2: Queen of Katwe - Kids go Free | Based on a vibrant true story and starring Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo. A Ugandan girl’s life changes forever when she discovers she has an amazing talent for chess, in this celebration of the human spirit. Every child attending a Take 2 screening receives a free ticket for themselves and one free tickets for their accompanying adult. | GFT | 24 May, 11.30am
E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea - A love triangle of jealousy in the Parisian art scene of the 1930s is brought to life in a stylish docufiction about iconic artist and architect Eileen Gray, who built her modernist dream house on the Riviera, only to be upstaged by Le Corbusier - submitted by Modern Films I GFT I 25 May, 6.30 pm
Queer Cinema Sundays at GFT - Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean + introduction. Queer Cinema Sundays screens on the last Sunday of every month at the Glasgow Film Theatre. Join us in May for the warmly entertaining and recently rediscovered Robert Altman drama, Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, starring Cher. The film will have a recorded introduction by Jaye Hudson, curator and producer of TGirlsonFilm. | GFT | 25 May, 7.10pm
EVENTS:
Scottish Screenwriters get together | Come to our next Scottish Screenwriters event for a night of script table readings, workshops and networking. Actors, filmmakers, film lovers – all welcome! Tickets are PYWC, £3, £5, £7. No need to book – just show up on the night! If you would like to submit a script to be read, find out how here. | GMac Film - 103 Trongate | 12 May, 7-9pm
Rot Your Brain: A Television Reading Group | Discuss theories and themes in contemporary and past television. This month: Band of Brothers | Glasgow Zine Library | 15 May 7pm
FURTHER AFIELD AND FURTHER AHEAD!
Film-related treats happening around the rest of Scotland and UK!
DUNDEE: Duck Soup in Dundee: A Screening of Laurel & Hardy’s Classic 1927 Film | Billy Rough and Matthew Jarron will introduce a special screening of this early Laurel and Hardy short for Music Hall & Variety Day 2025 | Dalhousie Building | 16 May, 6pm
PORTREE: Exclusive screening Edinburgh Short Film Festival on Tour plus Q&A | A benefit night at Portree Community Cinema. Excellent new Scottish and international shorts followed by a Q and A. | Portree Community Cinema | 25 May, 7pm
OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS / WORK OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP:
Volunteer Social Media Coordinator - Edinburgh Cine & Video Club
Assistant AV Technician - Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Glasgow - £24,530 per annum | Apply before 13 May
Marketing Manager - Manipulate Arts | £35k per annum pro rata (£21k per annum) - 3 days per week, apply before 15 May
Film & TV Executive Producer - LS Productions - seeking a dynamic and experienced Film & TV Executive Producer to lead and grow our Film & TV division across the UK and internationally. - £80,000 - £90,000 (depending on experience) | Apply before 23 May
COURSES & WORKSHOPS:
FREE: Documentary Masterclass | Young DIY filmmakers, join award-winning director Juliet Klottrup for a free online masterclass on documentary filmmaking hosted by Film Hub North! You’ll learn how to capture powerful real-life stories on a budget, connect with your community, and get inspired by Juliet’s creative process. | online | 15 May, 6.30pm
Scottish Youth Film Foundation Sean Connery Talent Lab opens for applications | This summer school will take place near Alness in the Highlands and will be free to all participants. | Scottish Youth Film Foundation | Apply Now
Directors Prep by National Film & Television School Scotland | Having directed film and television for over thirty years, and authored the book ' The Film Director Prepares', Jonas Grimas will explain, simplify and de-mystify the abstract elements of filmmaking - and share a string of his secrets.| NFTS Glasgow | 2 days 10am -5pm, in-person, 31 May - 1 June
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 / ORGS LOOKING FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS:
SQIFF 2025 Festival: Short Film Submissions Now Open | SQIFF is bringing our 2025 edition to Glasgow from 28th October until 1st November 2025! We are open to short films (50 minutes and under). Films must have had people with lived LGBTQIA+ experience in the production. We will prioritise films made by people/communities with typically less access to film industries. For example Black and PoC, Deaf, Disabled, working class, and refugee and immigrant filmmakers. | Deadline 25 May
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
Animated Shorts Wanted - Manipulate Festival | We’re delighted to announce that we have opened submissions for animated shorts by Scottish-based filmmakers to be considered as part of the 2026 Manipulate Festival. | Deadline 30 June
CPH:DOX + Futura Cinema: CALL FOR PROJECTS | CPH:DOX and Futura Cinema have partnered to launch the 4th edition, featuring two intensive support programmes for innovation across cinema and the creative industries. Find out more about the incubation programme and experimentation programme | Applications for both close on 30 June
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
FUNDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, MENTORSHIPS:
BIFA Springboard | BIFA’s yearly programme designed to support film writers, directors and producers to continue and develop their careers is once again open for applications. | Deadline 5 May
Sundance Development Track | The development track has one open application that allows your fiction feature work-in-progress screenplay to be considered for the following programs, fellowships, and grants:
Screenwriters Lab (held annually in January)
Screenwriters Intensive (held annually in March, online)
Sundance Institute Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (includes participation in either the Screenwriters Lab or Intensive) and Commissioning Grant
| Deadline 14 May
PITCH YOUR SHORT FILM TO WIN £1000 OF KIT HIRE! | In partnership with New Day Pictures, Kingston International Film Festival and My SMASH Media are giving 6 filmmakers the chance to perfect their pitch in a live session - and compete to win this incredible prize! | Kingston upon Thames | Deadline 23 May
Open Call for Southeast Asian Storytellers! | Join the Just Futures Impact Story Lab — a new initiative for creators working on audiovisual projects that tackle regional issues. | Apply by 18 May, lab takes place 6-9 September in Bali, Indonesia
The Film Fund up to $10,000 for your short | Craft and submit one sentence with a compelling premise that also conveys why you need this funding to achieve your vision. Our judges will choose the best one. Get creative capital to use for the production of a short, or use it as a film finishing fund. See examples here, and enter below. | Apply before 28 May
Creative Grants From the Hugo Burge Foundation | The Hugo Burge Foundation are offering up to £15,000 to individuals and organisations engaged in creative projects across Scotland. The grants will support projects, people, and organisations in three key areas:
Creative Individuals – funding towards the creation of a specific project, work or piece.
Creative Education – furthering the creative skills and expertise of young people.
Creative Communities - supporting people to engage and connect with arts and culture.
Apply before 31 May
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
25% bursary for women in video games | John Yorke Story - Covers 25% of the regular course price and is available to one female applicant for each iteration of this course. The only requirements are that you are a woman who loves and plays video games, and is interested in how to tell engaging game stories. | Apply before 2 June
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!
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 to open with Eva Victor’s acclaimed Sorry, Baby 🎥
Scottish Government to do 'all it can' to protect film industry from Trump tariffs 📉
Film Festivals currently running / coming up:
Falastin Film Festival Scotland / 9-19 May / various locations Edinburgh & Glasgow
Festival de Cannes / 14-23 May - Cannes, France
SXSW London / 2-7 June / London, UK
Tribeca Film Festival / 4-15 June / New York, US
Sheffield DocFest / 18 - 23 June - Sheffield, UK
Raindance / 18-27 June / London, UK
On Falling premiered at Glasgow Film Festival btw! Thanks for the shout out, Laura Carriera will be present at the screening on 22nd May, tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/local-cinema-on-falling-2024-tickets-1358351458779?aff=oddtdtcreator