Cate Shortland’s Lore will screen at the Wigtown Book Festival under its South West Picture Show Programme. The film will play tonight at 7.30pm in County Buildings and be introduced by its Glasgow-based producer, DigiCult’s Paul Welsh.

As the Second World War ends, five German siblings embark on an epic journey to their grandmother’s after their high-level Nazi parents disappear. Adapted from Rachel Seiffert’s Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Dark Room, Cate Shortland’s film is a moving human drama and a compelling portrait of a nation in denial.

Tomorrow, Rachel Seiffert and Paul Welsh will discuss the long road from novel to the big screen in From Page To Screen: Lore.

The 70 minute event offers a unique insight into the journey from initial idea to shooting script that will appeal equally to aspiring screenwriters, readers and film-lovers. Introduced by Professor Nick Higgins, director of the UWS Creative Media Academy, it is supported by the UWS Creative Media Academy and Honeycomb Creative Works.

On Sunday 5th October, Rachel Seiffert will talk about her new book The Walk Home, which looks at a man returning home to Glasgow and a family torn apart by the sectarian divide.

Let there be Northern Lights… in London!

The Centre of Experimental and Documentary Film/ DocWest/ CREAM at the University of Westminster, the Creative Media Academy of the University of the West of Scotland and Lansdowne Productions in conjunction with Birkbeck Cinema would like to invite you to their special screening and discussion of the mass participation documentary We Are Northern Lights. The event will be held at Birkbeck Cinema on Thursday 11th September.

With only weeks to go before the people of Scotland cast their vote on whether or not to remain as part of the United Kingdom there seems no better time to reflect upon a documentary that aspires to be a digitally democratic representation of the Scottish people.

To see the film’s trailer please visit: www.wearenorthernlights.com

The Northern Lights documentary project took place over 3 months in 2012 and invited the people of Scotland to submit footage of the places, people and thoughts most important to them. The project engaged over 70,000 people and received over 300 hours of footage. The resulting feature documentary – We Are Northern Lights – was the first ever Scottish documentary to receive a theatrical release within the cinema multiplex chain, Cineworld.

Whilst experiencing commercial and critical success in Scotland, including a BAFTA Scotland nomination, the film has never before been screened in England.

For this unique screening we will be joined by Professor Nick Higgins, the project’s producer and the film’s director, to discuss the film and identity politics on the eve of the Independence vote.

Click here to register for free tickets.

Calling all aspiring screenwriters!

Wigtown Book Festival are hosting a special panel session on Developing Scripts for the Screen on Friday 3 October (2-4pm).  Ten aspiring screenwriters will be given professional feedback on their ideas for a screenplay or a screen adaptation of their writing.

This is an event for selected participants only, who will meet as a group to hear feedback from a panel of three industry experts including DigiCult’s Paul Welsh, a BBC drama commissioner and a screenwriting agent.

Interested writers should submit a two-page outline of their idea to Belle.Doyle@uws.ac.uk. The deadline has been extended to 11 September and writers will hear if they have been selected by 18 September.  Please note, only writers in Northern Ireland, the six border countries of the Republic of Ireland and the western seaboard of Scotland can apply.

Between 2015-20, the Scottish Film Talent Network (SFTN) offered new and emerging Scottish based filmmakers support for individual film projects and professional development.

From new talent through to first-time features, SFTN providing tailored individual support alongside development programmes and production finance.

SFTN was a consortium initiative managed by DigiCult, the Centre for the Moving Image and Hopscotch Films, part of the UK-wide NETWORK, funded by Creative Scotland and BFI. The initiative was the first to bring together Scottish industry practitioners in development, production, finance, distribution, exhibition and festivals who passed on their expertise through comprehensive hands-on opportunities.

DigiCult’s Partners

Funded by

DigiCult’s Incubator programme intensified over the winter months.

Building on last year’s call for talent and projects, we have five feature length stories now in development with Scottish based writers and writer-directors.

The cross genre slate features drama, horror, thriller and comedy material from Gregor Johnstone (Night of the Wolf), Norrie Bissell (The Last Man In Europe), Sam Firth (Isobel), Marcus Harbern (Cape Wrath) & Tom K. McCarthy (Persevere).

Currently at outline, the first scripts will appear in the summer.

Applications are open for the Playwrights’ Studio Screenwriting Residencies in association with Binger Film Lab. Over the next 6 – 9 months, up to 12 Scottish or Scottish based writers will have the opportunity to develop a feature film script working with experienced mentors, including tutors from Binger Film Lab in Amsterdam. You’ve only got a few weeks till the deadline so get your application in.

Staged over three residential weekends in Glasgow, there will also be two public events with inspiring contributors from the world of film. Participants in the residency will take part in master classes with these speakers.

For more information visit the Playwrights’ Studio website. The screenwriting residency programme are supported by Creative Scotland’s Creative Futures programme.

Following two months of hard graft on their story, script and project ideas, Eva Riley and Tom Chick have been commissioned  by DigiCult and Creative Scotland to produce their first funded shorts with the company.

Eva’s naturalistic piece ‘Sweetheart’ tells the story of two sisters struggling with their inter-dependency and competing sexuality. And Tom’s lyrical re-telling of the traditional tale ‘Death In A Nut’ draws inspiration from the films of Bill Douglas, deftly exploring a son’s struggle with a stranger who comes to visit his ailing mother.

Congratulations to both these film-makers and commiserations to the remainder of the short film talent pool. Everyone worked hard throughout the development process: Ryan Adams, Antonia Bain, Hugh Farrell, Sam Firth, Neil Hepburn and Mark Rossi. DigiCult wishes you every success with your future film projects.

Alongside Zack Copping’s ‘Foxy and Marina‘ (in post production), ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Death in A Nut’ complete DigiCult’s short film slate for 2011.