Half
way through the most difficult year it has had
since it was founded, Scottish Screen is planning
to have a major presence at Edinburgh. The agency
is
one
of the principal funders of the Edinburgh International
Film Festival. It is also the main sponsor of
the Television for Young People Festival, which
takes place during the Guardian International
Television Festival.
Fight
for Survival
Featuring in the Film Festival programme
are two Scottish Screen Lottery funded productions
Gas Attack from Hart Ryan Scotland for
Channel 4 and Rivers and Tides from Skyline.
Gas Attack was shot in and around Glasgow
using non- professional actors and tells the
story of Turkish Kurd asylum seekers housed
in high rise flats in the city and their terrifying
fight for survival when a deadly virus strikes
the group.
Elemental
Art
The
Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy features in
Rivers and Tides as he sculpts his magical
pieces from leaves, rocks, and icicles. In the
film, which captures the ephemeral essence of
his work, he explains how much nature and the
elements influence what he does.
Shorts
There
is an exciting programme of short films on offer
this year. BBC Scotland and Scottish Screen
present three Tartan Shorts; Tangerine, Manji
and Cry for Bobo and Scottish Screen
and Scottish Media Group present six films in
this the second slate of New Found Land longer
length digitally shot features. These are Lost,
Last Legs, Small Love, Saved, Blackout and
Leonard.
Steve
McIntyre Head of Scottish Screen's Production
& Development Department is pleased with
the standard of Lottery funded films at this
year's festival. ''There are real contrasts
in style among this year's crop of short films
and once again we are able to watch the development
of some very talented individuals - it augurs
well for the future of the industry here. The
two Lottery funded features are also quite different
from what is usual and from each other, in that
one looks at the grim plight of Kurdish asylum
seekers in Glasgow and the other is an enchanting
journey among the creations of one of Scotland's
foremost artists, Andy Goldsworthy. ''
Script
to Screen
As part of Scottish Screen sponsorship of The
Script Factory there will be a performed reading
of Oracle by Oliver Wingate, a masterclass
interview and a development journey discussion
tracing the path taken by a film as it negotiates
the obstacles from script to screen.
Industry
Room
Scottish Screen is sponsoring the Industry
Room based at the Point Hotel in Bread Street
which will be used for seminars, discussions
and a series of five training events in conjunction
with Skillset, sponsored by Scottish Media Group.
They are entitled "The Development Process:
Why is it Hell?", "From Dream to Reality"; "Getting
On"; "Film, What Film?" and "The Producer's
Game". All the sessions are designed to point
the aspiring filmmaker in the right direction.
Alison Maxwell Head of Training and Education
at Scottish Screen feels the EIFF is an important
occasion for the industry training organisations.
"The screen industries in Scotland are developing
at a fantastic pace and EIFF presents an excellent
opportunity for all of us involved in training
& development to demonstrate the support
available not only to those wishing to enter
the industry, but also to established professionals
wishing to develop & update their skills."
European
Opportunities
MEDIA Antenna Scotland will also be hosting
several sessions during Industry Week on European
opportunities for filmmakers, entitled "MEDIA
Plus Briefing"; "MEDIA Training – Screenwriting";
and "MEDIA Training – Management".
One final training session especially aimed
at school children and college students called
So you Want to Work in the Movies? will be held
in Filmhouse during Industry Week. Other events
include the Scottish Locations Network Seminar
which will answer the question Why Make Your
Movie in Scotland?
Young
People
Television for Young People (TVYP) runs concurrently
with the Guardian Edinburgh International Television
Festival on the weekend of 24 - 26 August. As
a core funder of TVYP, Scottish Screen personnel
will be taking part in the career advice panels
with the young delegates. Scottish Screen is
also sponsoring "Indies for Sale" one of the
major sessions of the Guardian Edinburgh International
Television Festival. The Indies session "Counting
the Noughts" will be chaired by prominent Glasgow
Independent Producer Alan Clements.
During the film festival Scottish Screen will
be based at their usual office above the Delegate
Centre in Grindlay Street. All Heads of Department
will be in attendance for meetings with delegates
and industry practitioners, and meetings can
be arranged with them by contacting the Scottish
Screen office.
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