A NEW free online weekend of film aimed at young audiences is being launched at the end of this month.
The event is intended to shine light on women filmmakers and will also present a “film course showcase” designed to arm future film students with all they need to know about how and where to study film in Scotland.
Hosted by the Young Programmers at Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), the Youth Weekender is accessible to all and there are data bursaries available to support young people who might need free data dongles to take part in the screenings and events.
EIFF Youth Young Programmer Lucilla Luprano said she hoped audiences would be as excited about the event as she was.
“I hope they love the films as much as I did – they are very different – but I wish to reach more people our age with less ‘mainstream’ and independent films, because often our generation is not exposed to them,” she said.
It is the second year Luprano has taken part in the Young Programmers project and she said it had not only given her a different outlook on the world but had also helped her address her fear of public speaking.
“I have absolutely loved this experience,” she said. “Having a space where I can share my love for cinema with like-minded people my age is absolutely amazing. I got to watch so many new independent films and it has really changed my preferences in cinema but has also given me a different outlook on the world.
“This project has also allowed me to face my fear of public speaking by allowing me to be a host on a variety of occasions.”
Jacob Gandy, of the EIFF Youth Advisory Group, said taking part in the planning had been one of his best experiences during lockdown.
“It’s so nice being able to talk about something I love with newfound connections also passionate about it,” he said. “I’m excited to see how the screenings will go and even more so for the future young programmers’ events.”
Audiences will be invited to join the watch parties on February 26 for the avant-garde classic Daisies, directed by Vera Chytilova.
On February 27 it will be the ground-breaking and genre-defying classic The Watermelon Woman, directed by Cheryl Dunye and on Sunday the final film is from the inspirational Agnes Varda, Varda By Agnes.
Each film will be introduced by an EIFF Youth young programmer.
The Film Course Showcase will be shown live on YouTube on February 27 and in addition to presentations, there will be opportunities for potential students to ask questions in the live Q&A.
Yvonne Gordon, head of education and learning at EIFF said the weekend had originally been designed as a cinema event but the pandemic had meant pivoting to deliver it online.
She added: “We agreed early on to focus on women filmmakers and have enjoyed narrowing down the field to the three selected for our watch parties.
“Each film and director is both iconic and iconoclastic.”
Gordon said much still needed to be done to support great films made by women, pointing out that in the latest influential BFI Sight and Sound poll of 100 best films only two were directed by women and most of the fuss was that Vertigo, by Hitchcock, knocked Citizen Kane, by Welles, off the top spot.
While the EIFF is committed to showcasing films made by women and at the last full festival in 2019 screened 121 new feature films with 43% directed by women, Gordon said there still needed to be more education and film exhibition on the subject.
“The Golden Globes have just announced three female directors are up for best director award – let’s see what happens with the Oscars,” said Gordon.
All films are available on BFI Player Subscription service. You can sign up for a special extended FREE trial at www.player.bfi.org.uk/subscription. Contact eiffyouth@edfilmfest.org.uk for more details and to claim your voucher code.
Watch parties will be hosted on EIFF Youth Instagram account.
For more information go to www.edfilmfest.org.uk/latest/eiff-youth-weekender
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here