We are delighted to announce this year's Country of focus

Scotland

Over the 5 days of the festival we will run a masterclass & a seminar and screen three feature length films & a short film programme .

As part of our Focus on Scottish Film, Virginia Heath and Grant Keir will run a Masterclass on 'How to Direct and Produce a Documentary Film' and screen their BAFTA nominated feature documentary film ‘From Scotland With Love’. They will also take part in a 'Film in Scotland Seminar'.

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Virginia and Grant established the Edinburg based, Award winning Production Company Faction North Ltd in 1998 alongside London-based producer Peter Day. Faction North Ltd has worked at the cutting edge of features, drama, documentary, TV and cross platform production for the past 25 years in the UK and International Markets. Many of their films carry strong political and social messages.

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Paul Bruce founder of the Edinburgh Short Film Festival has curated a Short Film Programme for us. Paul will also take part in the 'Film in Scotland Seminar'.
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Paul  Bruce is an award-winning filmmaker and short story writer who founded the Edinburgh Short Film Festival and has been the festival director since 2011. He has overseen the expansion of the festival from 4 nights in 2011 to its current status as one of the UK's biggest dedicated Short Film events, with a growing international reputation. Paul has curated programmes for many international film festivals from Trinidad to Tokyo and is a visiting lecturer at Queen Margaret University and Screen Academy Scotland.

GO HOME
Dir: Razan Madhoon | Drama | 10mins
A Palestinian woman claiming asylum in the UK, faces the indifference of British bureaucracy and a disillusioned asylum officer on the verge of leaving the country for good.

JEALOUS ALAN
Dir: Martin Clark | Drama | 16mins
When Alan discovers his best friend Stuart and Angela are secretly dating, jealousy drives him to foil it and wrestle where his passions really lay. 1980's Edinburgh and Glasgow.

KEITH WATER
Dir: Izzy Gibbs | Animation | 15 Mins
A small film about a small river. A stop motion story made mostly from wood from the river found during the 2020 lockdown. A remarkable stop-motion celebration of the Keith River.

ROSALYN
Dir: Olivia J Middleton | Horror | 16 Mins
A raw and haunting short horror film exploring the fragility of mental health during pregnancy.

SCUZZ
Dir: Alia Ghafar | Drama | 14.5 Mins
Kim (23), a Glasgow bassist playing a dingy venue surrounded by art-school snobs, her now ex-boyfriend and frontman Lee. Kim wants to escape the shallow scene. When Lee’s guitar is stolen, Kim gives chase.

SHORT CHANGED
Dir: Zoe Hutber | Animation | 5 Mins
A delightful, Scottish stop-motion short about a couple’s struggle against the system in a world where everyone is made of money.

THE LAST MERMAID
Dir: Fi Kelly | Comedy | 16 Mins
Vape-smoking, whisky-swigging middle-aged mermaid PEARL hides away on the banks of a remote Scottish loch. Owner of an aquatic fantasy sex-line site, she lives a very different life to her enchanting ancestors ... she's the ultimate fish out of water.

WHAT’S LEFT TO SAY
Dir: George Farrow-Hawkins | Music Video | 3 mins
Touching and thoughtful stop-motion animated video for the song ‘What’s Left to Say’ by Constant Follower. The animation is both poignant and introspective and deftly edited.

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