On 26th June our feature documentary Eminent Monsters will be part of a special event at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Led by UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Professor Nils Melzer, Eminent Monsters will be used as a catalyst to open discussion on the definition of torture in member states
Never underestimate the power of a good film
Our new documentary ORPHANS Reunited has released on BBC Scotland and iplayer, revisiting Peter Mullan's debut film, Orphans, 20 years after its release.
Peter Mullan and the cast reminisce over the film that changed their lives: telling the story of its production, a changing Glasgow and the film's raw and powerful portrayal of grief which continues to resonate with them to this day.
We are delighted to announce that Harry Birrell: Films of Love and War won the Glasgow Film Festival’s 2019 Audience Award! Enormous gratitude to all those who watched and voted for this deeply moving portrait of one man’s incredible adventure and filmmaking obsession.
Scottish Film Talent Network is delighted to announce the six short films commissioned for the New Talent Scottish Shorts 2018 programme.
Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the BFI (awarding funds from the National Lottery), this talent development programme targets Scottish based writers, directors and producers with bold and exciting stories to tell to international audiences.
The following six shorts will receive individual budgets of £15,000 and go into production later this year:
1. DARK ROAD (Drama)
Writer/Director: Rory Gibson; Producer: Douglas Cox
2. DUCK DAZE (Black Comedy/Drama)
Writer: Julia Taudevin; Director: Alison Piper; Producers: James Heath & Tom Gentle
3. EXPENSIVE SHIT (Drama)
Writer/Director: Adura Onashile; Producers: Ciara Barry, Rosie Crerar & Alia Ghafar
4. ONCE UPON A TIME IN NORTH GLASGOW (Drama)
Writer/Director: James Price; Producer: Dave Gilles
5. LUCKY STAR (Drama)
Writer/Director: Russell Davidson; Producer: David Neilson
6. THE FABRIC OF YOU (Animation)
Writer/Director: Josephine Self; Producer: Calum Hart
The six shorts were selected from 13 filmmaking teams who undertook a series of development workshops and masterclasses throughout June and July focussing on story, script and production led by producer Paul Welsh, DigiCult, and supported by producer Carolynne Sinclair Kidd,Hopscotch Films. The 13 teams pitched their projects to an industry panel comprising of representatives from Scottish Film Talent Network and Creative Scotland.
Two of this year’s selected filmmakers are graduates of last year’s SFTN Write4Film programme. Adura Onashile and Julia Taudevin, both award winning playwrights and theatre-makers, participated in the inaugural year that helped introduce to screenwriting six established writers from other artforms. Adura’s short will be produced by Rosie Crerar and Ciara Barry, BFI Vision Award Producers who are supported for their work with new and emerging filmmakers. James Ley, another playwright from the 2017 edition of Write4Film, is also developing his first feature film with SFTN.
Holly Daniel, Executive at Scottish Film Talent Network, said: “This is the fourth edition of the SFTN Scottish Shorts programme and we continue to be amazed and excited by the high level of talent that submit to take part. As always it was a difficult decision but we feel the range and mix of voices being supported this year are outstanding and will produce a fantastic selection of short films. Having two SFTN Write4Film alumni in the selection is a brilliant example how of how professional development can help talented Scottish writers from other mediums bring their skills and voices to film..”
Ross Mckenzie, Screen Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Again this year we were presented with a range of high quality projects that have benefited from intensive development over the course of the Scottish Shorts workshops. The six projects commissioned for production demonstrate great depth and deal with a range of issues that we expect will resonate with audiences at home and internationally. We’re delighted to be offering these teams the opportunity to realise their vision and make high quality films that will showcase Scotland’s creativity to the world, and support the selected filmmakers in making the important next step in their careers. ”
This is the fourth edition of the Scottish Shorts programme under SFTN. Previous participants have benefitted from the production of their first funded work to help progress their careers.
The full press release can be found on the SFTN website.
We're delighted to announce that a Hopscotch production Stop All the Clocks: W.H. Auden in Age of Anxiety has been shortlisted for a Grierson documentary Award in Best Arts or Music Documentary category. Congratulations to everyone else on the shortlist!
The critically-acclaimed Hopscotch production Arcadia is coming to UK cinemas on the 21st of June!
Scouring 100 years of archive footage, BAFTA-winner Paul Wright constructs an exhilarating study of the British people’s shifting — and contradictory — relationship to the land. The film goes on a sensory, visceral journey through the contrasting seasons, taking in folk carnivals and fetes, masked parades, water divining and harvesting. Set to a grand, expressive new score from Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) alongside folk music from the likes of Anne Briggs, Wright’s captivating film essay captures the beauty and brutality, and the magic and madness of rural Britain.
“Arcadia is a revolutionary document” — Paul Kingsnorth, author
“An exhilarating audio-visual journey” — Sight & Sound
“There is magic in this film. 9/10” — Uncut
A recent Hopscotch production, Village of Dreams, premiered last week on BBC Two Scotland to great reception. You can catch this inspiring story of an inclusive Aberdeenshire community on BBC iPlayer now: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b6sthr/village-of-dreams
A message from the producers regarding EIFF 2018
"We had been working, excitedly, towards Edinburgh International Film Festival screenings of Make Me Up on the 21st and 24th of June, but unfortunately the film is not going to be completed for those dates. We considered presenting a work in progress, but we would much rather audiences see it for the first time complete and in all its glory, as it's intended to be.
Our post production team, with Rachel, are all working full pelt on the animation, VFX, composition, and sound design and it's looking absolutely incredible. We know that you will be blown away when you see the world that Rachel has created!
Dates for when Make Me Up will be shown on the BBC will be released soon and there will be additional screenings at cinemas and galleries in the Autumn.
We would like to thank everyone involved, including EIFF for their continued support and their interest in screening Make Me Up as part of the 2018 Festival."
Make Me Up is co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Art Commissions as part of Represent, and BBC Arts. It is produced by Hopscotch Films and NVA and supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, and Creative Scotland.
We are delighted to have been recognised in three categories by the Royal Television Society Scotland!
Big thank you to everyone who helped make this happen and congratulations to all the other winners and nominees!
Easter may be over but there's still time to catch up on Long Night at Blackstone! Find it on the iplayer here.
Reviews are in...
"From McIntosh’s natural comedy chops – where you have been all my life? – to Wilson Nimmo’s on the money telly luvvie, Blackstone was a hoot and a half. As for John Gordon Sinclair, it should be the law that he is cast in every BBC Scotland comedy." Alison Rowat - The Herald
"...some funny lines and delightful comedic twists: there's a neat spin on the traditional motif of strangers entering a bar-room full of locals, while Michie enjoyably plays on the laird's well-heeled arrogance." Brian Donaldson, The List
Following the success of West Skerra Light, Greg Hemphill is back with another hilarious spooktacular Long Night at Blackstone. Along with co-writer Donald Mcleary, Hemphill reunites with his comedy/horror cast members John Gordon Sinclair, Lorraine McIntosh, John Michie, Julie Wilson Nimmo, and a special guest star, who will remain, for now, a Scooby Doo mystery.
Long Night at Blackstone will broadcast on Easter Monday 2nd April 9pm on BBC1 Scotland. It is also available on the iplayer across the UK.
The story
Faye Bowers is the host of a low rent paranormal activity show, a master of trickery and pretence, but she is desperate to be taken seriously as a journalist. When she learns that the show is to be axed, she is determined to go out with a bang. The venue for the final show is the mysterious Blackstone Manor, a huge dilapidated pile inhabited by the Laird of Blackstone, and full of stories of past horrors. Though the filming day starts normally enough, it soon becomes apparent that all is not right, and for the very first time in the show's history the ghosts may in fact be real, and very dangerous. Battling backstabbing colleagues as well as the terrors in the house, Faye finds herself making a show that could catapult her career into the big league - if she can survive the night.
John Michie as the Laird of Blackstone
John Gordon Sinclair as Pat Tomorrow
Lorraine McIntosh as Faye Bowers
The Ghost Haunt team: Producer Dom (Wilson Nimmo) Faye Bowers (McIntosh) Pat Tomorrow (Gordon Sinclair)
“In life, if you change reality in one single space, you’re changing the world.”
The BAFTA nominated feature length documentary Accidental Anarchist is now available to watch online.
Carne Ross was a government highflyer. A career diplomat who believed Western Democracy could save us all. But working inside the system he came to see its failures, deceits and ulterior motives. He felt at first hand the corruption of power. After the Iraq war Carne became disillusioned, quit his job and started searching for answers. This film traces his journey across the globe as he tries to find an answer to the question so many people today are asking themselves – isn’t there a better way?
For Carne there is. Anarchism offers a solution to the brutalities of Capitalism and the dishonesties of Democracy.