The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has revealed a list of films with Scottish talent and settings that it will show during its celebrations for Scotland’s Year of Stories.
As part of the event, which will run between August 12 and 20, EIFF's list includes 10 feature films, six of which will be world premieres.
Here’s the list of films with a Scottish touch:
Aftersun
This critically acclaimed feature debut from Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells is fresh from winning first prize when it premiered as part of International Critics’ Week during this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
It tells the story of Sophie - played as an adult by Celia Rowlson-Hall and a young girl by Frankie Corio - who reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father – played by Normal People star Paul Mescal - twenty years earlier. Aftersun’s production was supported with an award from Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund.
A Cat Called Dom
Scottish animators Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson star in and co-direct the world premiere of this inventive documentary which portrays how Anderson copes with the grief of his mother’s illness.
The duo work on their animations and face the frustrations of trying to make this documentary. Whilst alone, Anderson turns to Dom, the animated cat that lives on his laptop screen. A Cat Called Dom received production support from Screen Scotland.
Electric Malady
Glasgow-based Marie Lidén’s empathetic and thought-provoking documentary focuses on a case of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), a medically disputed syndrome still being explored by the WHO. The isolated subject William based in Marie’s homeland, Sweden, shields himself from technology and radiation with sheets of foil and copper-lined blankets. It is a condition that the filmmaker had a unique insight into as her mother was a sufferer too. Electric Malady was developed and produced with support from Screen Scotland.
The Ballad of a Great Disordered Heart
The Ballad of a Great Disordered Heart is a collaborative film by Edinburgh-based trio: folk musician Aidan O’Rourke, Becky Manson and Mark Cousins that offers an evocative view of Edinburgh’s Old Town and the Irish communities who have called it home. This celebratory film, which receives its world premiere at the EIFF, features an original soundtrack by O’Rourke and live performances by Irish and Scottish folk musicians.
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Dùthchas | Home
Drawing on rare 8mm colour film of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides, Scottish director Andy MacKinnon offers a bridge between the contemporary citizens and their not-so-distant past in the world premiere of Dùthchas | Home.
The film speaks to the importance of place and the resilience of culture through language, song and memories. The film was developed and produced with support from Screen Scotland.
Winners (Barandeha)
Hassan Nazer’s Winners (Barandeha) produced by Scot Paul Welsh and Scottish Uzbek Nadira Murray is set in a deprived area of a small Iranian town where children are required to work to help support their families. Nine-year-old Yahya is one such child who looks through massive piles of junk in search of hidden treasures.
One day, Yahya strikes literal gold by finding an unclaimed Oscar statue, the curious item leading the boy into an adventure-filled journey that doubles as a loving ode to the history of Iranian cinema in this presentation.
The Sacred Family (La Sagrada Familia)
Glasgow-based Borja Alcalde’s debut feature documentary The Sacred Family (La Sagrada Familia) is a visually evocative and emotional journey to the heart of what holds a family together or breaks them apart. Carmen and Sergio are ordinary parents juggling the pressures of family and work. Living in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru, their business is based around the local ayahuasca ceremonies. Concerned about their family’s compulsive use of modern technologies, they take their three kids on a campervan road trip deep into the Amazon rainforest in this World Premiere presentation. Production of The Sacred Family was funded by Screen Scotland.
Off The Rails
Expanded from his BBC short documentary, Peter Day’s kinetic portrait Off The Rails follows adrenaline-seeking Surrey teens Aiden and Rikke's parkour journey to YouTube stardom in a candid exploration of contemporary teenage mental health. The film is produced by Scot Grant Keir and was developed and produced with support from Screen Scotland.
Morvern Callar
Glaswegian Lynne Ramsay’s second feature based on Scot Alan Warner’s award-winning novel and which stars Samantha Morton as the titular character celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a 35mm retrospective screening. Shot in Oban and sunny Almería, this is hallucinatory homegrown cinema gilded with a soundtrack of electronica and art-rock tracks.
Heading West: a story about a band called Shooglenifty
This Don Coutts film is an uplifting film for fans old and new of the Edinburgh band Shooglenifty which showcases the past, present and future of the Acid-croft music pioneers in this World Premiere presentation.
Yoyo & The Little Auk
This Scot Dougie Irvine film follows the story of when a storm hits a flock of birds flying over the ocean with one little auk being stranded in the middle of Scotland. The lost bird is found by Yoyo, a little girl preparing for her favourite night of the year, the Inverkithkin ceilidh. From the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Visible Fictions, supported by Year of Stories 2022, this new film is accompanied by a live orchestral performance and looks to introduce children aged 3-6 to the magic of classical music.
Commenting, culture minister Neil Gray said: “We are fortunate to have a wealth of talented people based in or hailing from Scotland. It’s fantastic to see such a strong line-up of films highlighting the full breadth and diversity of this incredible talent, alongside the inspiring locations we have across Scotland. I’m looking forward to getting the chance to see such an exciting and varied line-up of Scottish stories and voices.”
Kristy Matheson, Creative Director of EIFF said: “Cinema is a magical time traveling machine that allows us to see the world but as Dorothy reminds us in the Wizard of Oz, ‘there’s no place like home.’ This year at EIFF, we’re proud to showcase local talents and stories across an array of programming. Our congratulations and sincere thanks to this talented group of Scottish born and based artists for sharing their stories with us.”
Screen Scotland's David Smith said: “Scotland’s creativity and diversity is brilliantly reflected in the astonishing range of features, theatrical documentaries and short films from Scotland which Kristy and the film festival team have selected for this year’s welcome return of the EIFF to August. Screen Scotland has funded the development and production of eighteen of the films and short films screening during the festival, including fantastic the Opening Gala, Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun.”
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