Edge City Films documentary Lost In France releases in UK and Ireland with a special event screening hosted by Glasgow Film Festival on Tuesday 21st February. Simulcast live from Glasgow’s legendary venue O2 ABC, the night starts with a screening of the film, followed by a one-off performance by acclaimed musicians Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), RM Hubbert and Emma Pollock & Paul Savage (The Delgados).

Lost In France explores the rise of Scotland’s independent music scene in the 90’s, led by cult label Chemikal Underground, the Delgados, Bis, Mogwai, Franz Ferdinand, Arab Strap and other seminal musicians and bands.

The O2 ABC event has sold out but you can still grab tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event at the following cinemas:

• 21 February – Curzon Aldgate, London
• 21 February – Curzon Bloomsbury, London
• 21 February – Picturehouse Central, London
• 21 February – Crouch End Picturehouse, London
• 21 February – Stratford Picturehouse, London
• 21 February – Odeon Holloway, London
• 21 February – HOME Cinema, Manchester
• 21 February – Exeter Phoenix
• 21 February – Duke of York’s Picturehouse, Brighton
• 21 February – Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool
• 21 February – Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle
• 21 February – Dundee Contemporary Arts
• 21 February – Empire Newcastle Upon Tyne
• 21 February – TramShed Cardiff
• 21 February – Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh
• 21 February – Odeon Edinburgh Wester Hailes
• 21 February – Odeon Glasgow Quay
• 21 February – Empire Clydebank
• 21 February – Odeon Braehead, Renfrew
• 21 February – Irish Film Institute, Dublin
• 21 February – Light House Cinema, Dublin
• 21 February – Triskel Arts Centre, Christchurch
• 21 February – Eye Cinema, Galway
• 21 February – Movies @ Dundrum, Dublin 
• 21 February – Movies @ Swords, Dublin
• 21 February – The Gate Cork

Lost In France is an Irish-UK co-production funded by Irish Film Board and Creative Scotland and directed by Niall McCann. It was produced by Nicky Gogan at Still Films, and Paul Welsh through DigiCult’s sister company Edge City Films. The film will be released theatrically in the UK and Ireland by Curzon / Artificial Eye from 24th February.

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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.

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.

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Thanks to everyone who came to the Edinburgh and Aberdeen launch events for The Scottish Film Talent Network. We still have three more launch dates in Scotland over the next couple of weeks.

SFTN is a new initiative that offers support to upcoming writers, directors and producers that are either based in or from Scotland. It is funded by Creative Scotland and BFI, and delivered by DigiCult, Hopscotch and The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI). It represents the Scottish part of the BFI NET.WORK, a talent development programme running across the UK.

The SFTN will work with emerging filmmakers as they prepare for their first feature, and will also help new talent break into the market by developing and producing shorts.

Events still to come:

These are free, walk-in events. Please join us to meet the team and hear news on all upcoming development and production opportunities.

DigiCult, Hopscotch and The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) are delighted to announce the Scottish Film Talent Network, a new initiative that offers support to upcoming writers, directors and producers all across Scotland.

SFTN is funded by Creative Scotland and BFI. It represents the Scottish part of the BFI NET.WORK, a talent development programme running across the UK.

The SFTN will work closely with a new generation of Scottish filmmakers to realise their potential and prepare them for their first feature film. It will also support the production of shorts from new and emerging filmmakers.

The scheme is being launched this Sunday at EIFF (22nd June 2014) and will launch in other Scottish cities over the next few weeks.

Please join us to hear news on all upcoming development and production opportunities.

The Scotsman have published a great article about Martin Smith and his upcoming feature Shows. The feature is based on Martin Smith’s short Seagulls, which was produced through DigiCult and Hopscotch’s Scottish Shorts initiative and had its world premiere at Berlin Film Festival last month.

Shows tells the story of a teenage showman and his dream of escaping life on the road. DigiCult’s Paul Welsh is producing the feature through sister company Edge City Films. In the Scotsman article, Smith highlights the issues faced by showmen and his reasons for making a short and feature on the same subject and characters.

To read the article in full, please visit The Scotsman’s website

iFeatures are holding a free Glasgow event for Scottish filmmakers interested in the their low budget feature film initiative. During the iFeatures Roadshow event, attendees will have the opportunity to meet iFeatures Executive Producer Christopher Granier-Deferre and network with other filmmakers.

The iFeatures scheme is a Creative England, BFI, BBC Films and Creative Skillset funded project. From the 16 projects chosen to go into development, 3 will be produced on a budget of £350,000 each.

This Glasgow event is supported by Creative Scotland and running as part of Glasgow Film Festival. It will be held in the CCA on Tuesday 25th February from 19:00 to 21:00.

For information on how to register for the event please visit here.

Attention all filmmakers! iFeatures, the low budget Feature Film Initiative, are calling for entries from all over the UK.

Although the scheme originates from England, entries from Scotland and the rest of the UK are eligible if the stories are set in English regions outside London.

Tracks 2006 (Martin Smith) Producer Karen M Smyth

Twelve teams of emerging writers, directors, animators and producers have been shortlisted for the Scottish Shorts programme 2012/13. The twelve live action and animation films will be developed over the next 3-4 months before being pitched to an industry panel. Four high-quality projects will then be selected for production in spring 2013.

The programme is a collaboration between Hopscotch Films and DigiCult with investment from Creative Scotland, and draws on the experience of acclaimed producers John Archer, Carolynne Sinclair Kidd and Paul Welsh. They bring an extensive mix of talent and experience to the programme offering invaluable support and expertise to the chosen film-makers, helping to create high quality projects and equipping film-makers with the skills to break into features and promote their work on a national and international platform.

Several of those shortlisted have already achieved acclaim for their previous work. Ian Robertson’s highlights to date include Best European Animation at the Young Director Awards in Cannes, a BAFTA New Talent Award in 2011 for The Chameleon, Best Drama at Exposures Film Festival and Best Film at the British Student Film festival in 2012 for his short film ‘The Phone Box’. Ainslie Henderson’s Edinburgh College of Art graduation film ‘I Am Tom Moody’ won awards for Best British Short at Encounters 2012, Best Student Film at Krok 2012, and both the Grand Walt Disney student short award and Ottawa media prize at Ottawa International Film Festival 2012. Martin Smith won the 2006 BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Short Film with his short film Tracks.

The shortlist:

‘As He lay Uncertain’ Writer/Director: Ian Waugh
‘Exchange and Mart’ Writer/Director: Cara Connolly & Martin Clark
‘Frankie and Adam’ (Animation/Live Action) Director: Michael Hughes; Writer/Director: Jessica Connell
‘Hedgehog’ (Animation) Writer/Director: Ania Leszczynska; Co-writer & Producer: Jessica Connell
‘Monkey Love Experiments’ (Animation) Writer/Director: Ian Robertson: Producer/Co-writer: Sam Ferguson
‘Take Your Partners’ Writer/Director: Siri Rodnes
“The House That Makes Children Old’ Director: Matt Cameron: Writer: Tom K McCarthy
‘The Whale’s Song’ (Animation) Writer/Director: Andy Kaiser; Joseph Atkinson
Untitled Project Writer/Director: Martin Smith
‘Wild’ Writer/Director: Alasdair Bayne
‘Wiyuld’ Writer/Director: Rory Alexander Stewart

Paul Welsh of DigiCult said:

“Judging by the quality of entries for the programme, Scotland has a strong passion for narrative film-making. We’re excited about working on these wonderful projects with the talent.”

John Archer of Hopscotch Films commented:

“We were overwhelmed by terrific submissions and have a very strong shortlist to develop further. We look forward to some brilliant productions.”

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland commented:

“Congratulations to the film-makers shortlisted for the first Scottish Shorts programme. This programme brings talent to the forefront and their skills and knowledge will thrive under the guidance of Paul, John and Carolynne, taking them to the next level in their careers and strengthening film-making in Scotland.”

Over the coming moths Digicult will release more information regarding the talent and progression of the Scottish Shorts Programme 2012/13.