Hot Docs 2013 Line Up of Scottish Films:

Screening times and Q&As with filmmakers

I AM BREATHING

The thin space between life and death. dir. Emma Davie & Morag McKinnon (IDFA Competition, True/False, EIFF)

Fri, Apr 26 6:30 PM Scotiabank Theatre, Cinema 4   Q&A Emma Davie
Sat, Apr 27 4:00 PM Isabel Bader Theatre  Q&A Emma Davie
Sun, May 5 3:30 PM Scotiabank Theatre, Cinema 4

FUTURE MY LOVE

Economy is a human relationship. dir. Maja Borg (EIFF nomination for Best British Film, CPH:DOX, Göteborg IFF nomination for Swedish Church Prize)

Fri, Apr 26 9:15 PM ROM Theatre  Q&A Maja Borg
Sat, Apr 27 1:30 PM Scotiabank Theatre, Cinema 3  Q&A Maja Borg
Fri, May 3 6:45 PM Isabel Bader Theatre

POUTERS

Rivals since childhood, Rab and Danny do battle with pigeons and pride. dir. Paul Fegan (GSFF Scottish Short Film Award, LSFF Best Documentary Channel 4 & Sheffield Doc Award)

Fri, Apr 26 5:00 PM TIFF Bell Lightbox 1  Q&A Paul Fegan
Sat, Apr 27 6:00 PM TIFF Bell Lightbox 3  Q&A Paul Fegan
Thu, May 2 10:30 AM The ROM Theatre

(this is a short film screening with Before the Revolution)

THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX

dir. Jeanie Finlay (SxSW)

Wed, May 1 9:30 PM The Royal Cinema  Q&A Jeanie Finlay
Fri, May 3 11:45 PM Bloor Hot Docs Cinema  Q&A Jeanie Finlay
Sat, May 4 8:30 PM The ROM Theatre

Contact during Hot Docs:
Sonja Henrici (SDI), Producer | 25-30 April | Cell: +44 7765 415 486
Leslie Finlay (Creative Scotland) | Development Executive | 25-30 April

Observer passes are now available!

Now in its 7th year, The Edinburgh Pitch is running alongside the Edinburgh International Film Festival (19-30 June). Independent filmmakers and companies developing and raising finance for creative feature documentaries will pitch their project in front of an international panel on 18 June.

Panelists: Tristan Anderson (DocHeads), Ewan Angus (BBC Scotland), Phil Cox (World View Media), Leslie Finlay (Creative Scotland), Charlotte Gry Madsen (DR Sales International), Diana Holtzberg (Films Transit International), Luke Moody (Britdoc), Jose Rodriguez (Tribeca Film Institute), Terry Stevens (Dogwoof), Kate Townsend (BBC Storyville), Wim van Rompaey (Lichtpunt), Debra Zimmerman (Women Make Movies)

Register HERE

Normal Pass – £24 (VAT incl.)
EIFF Delegate Pass – £12 (VAT incl.)
Student Pass – £12 (VAT incl.)

Deadline for registrations: Thursday 13 June 2013 (11 am)
Places are limited so make sure to register in advance. Registration fees are not refundable.

Your Edinburgh Pitch observer pass will also allow you to attend our Docs in Progress screenings (Wednesday 19 June from 2:30pm to 5:30pm) where selected filmmakers will show 20 minutes of their rough cut and will receive feedback from professionals and observers, focusing on creative decision making and editing.

WHEN
June 18, 2013 at 9:30am – 5:30pm

WHERE
Traverse Theatre
10 Cambridge St
Edinburgh EH1 2ED

For more information, please contact Flore | flore@scottishdocinstitute.com 

Documentaries previously presented at the Edinburgh Pitch & Docs in Progress: Pablo’s Winter (Opa Films – Scotland/Spain), Black Out (Odd Girl Out/Animal Monday/HSI London – UK), Borrowed Memories (Filmes de Abril – Brazil), The Punk Syndrome (Mouka Filmi – Finland), Despite the Gods (House of Gary – Norway/Australia), You’ve Been Trumped (Montrose Pictures – Scotland), The Runner (Tourist with a Typewriter – UK), How to Re-establish a Vodka Empire (Dartmouth Films/Optimistic Productions – UK), One Thousand Pictures

The Edinburgh Pitch & Docs in Progress are part of our Docscene season of masterclasses and workshops supported by Creative Scotland and the Edinburgh College of Art (University of Edinburgh).

UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL Friday 15^th March 2013 00:01hrs

I AM BREATHING to screen as part of the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival, kicking off a Global Screening Day to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease (MND)

I Am Breathing will raise awareness to mark Motor Neurone Disease Global Awareness Day on 21^st June 2013, launching with its UK Film Premiere at EIFF on 20^th June

UK, Edinburgh – Friday 15^th March 2013 – Critically-acclaimed feature documentary I AM BREATHING will raise money and awareness for MND Global Awareness Day on 21st June 2013 through a global screening day, launching with the UK Premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival the previous day (20th June 2013). Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI) and the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association) will collaborate to promote awareness and raise funds with cinema and community screenings of the film all over the world on 21st June 2013.  Participating so far are the Balkans, Australia, USA, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Russia and New Zealand.

I Am Breathing is the hard-hitting story of Neil Platt – a thirty-three-year-old Yorkshireman who contracted Motor Neurone Disease. Paralyzed from the neck down with only months to live, he tells his story to help raise awareness around his devastating disease and dedicates the film to his one-year-old son Oscar.  Collaborating with filmmakers Emma Davie and Morag McKinnon on I Am Breathing, he used his remaining months to communicate about his illness. He also wrote a blog and committed himself to playing a part in making MND history by inspiring a community of people to join the fight.

I Am Breathing is a co-production between SDI Productions and Danish Documentary, with investments by Creative Scotland, Danish Film Institute, Wellcome Trust, MND Association and the former UK Film Council. Broadcasters involved in the production are Channel 4, DR (Denmark) and YLE (Finland).

Directors Morag McKinnon and Emma Davie of I Am Breathing said: “When we started filming with Neil, it was very much from his initiative.  He put out a request in his blog for anyone involved in the media to come and speak to him. We planned initially to make a short film for MND but somehow his ambition, honesty and desire to communicate pushed it to be a much bigger film. I Am Breathing, like the blog is about creating community around this horrendous disease –reminding us of a humanity in the midst of such suffering. This community grows with every screening – just as Neil planned.”

Farah Nazeer, Director of External Affairs for MNDA, said: “We know that raising awareness of MND is incredibly important to our members. I Am Breathing gives us a unique opportunity to reach out and educate people with no previous knowledge of the disease.”

Sonja Henrici, Producer of I Am Breathing said: “We love exploring new partnerships with festivals, organisations, venues and audiences. MNDA has believed in our film from the start, and through them we initiated the Global Screening Day to coincide with the MND/ALS Global Awareness Day. We are excited that Edinburgh, where Neil and Louise met, will be the hub of our Global Screening Day in partnership with Edinburgh International Film Festival. These collaborations are essential for experimenting with such a multi-platform release. We are keen to hear from other people and organisations who want to participate and expand the vision of this release.”

Chris Fujiwara, Artistic Director of EIFF, said, “We’re proud to host the premiere of this shattering film. I Am Breathing is a documentary that says a great deal, with great eloquence and heart, about the ability of humanity to sustain and express itself under the most terrible limitations.”

For more information about how you can play your part in supporting awareness for I AM BREATHING Global Screening Day and to host your own screening of the film, go to www.iambreathingfilm.com/global

www.iambreathingfilm.com  @breathingfilm   iambreathing@scotdoc.com
World Premiere in IDFA Competition for Feature Length Documentary, Amsterdam 2012

Nordic Premiere at DocPoint – Helsinki International Documentary Film Festival 2013

North American Premiere at True False Film Festival 2013
“Intimate documentary examining a normal-but-remarkable man and wife’s handling of his

fatal disease ranks among the year’s most moving films.”  Hollywood Reporter

“quietly demonstrates how life continues to flourish even in the face of death. “ Screen Daily

“A Doc to Watch in 2013” Indiewire

For interviews, screenings, stills, clips and further information about I AM BREATHING please contact:

About Scottish Documentary Institute

Scottish Documentary Institute is a documentary research, production and distribution centre at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. www.scottishdocinstitute.com.  It was set up in 2004. Our aim is to stimulate and inspire the documentary scene in Scotland and beyond through focus on creative excellence and clear international outlook. We also work at bridging the gap between academia and industry. Our films have played at major film festivals, such as Sundance, Cannes, Hotdocs, Tribeca, Full Frame, Silverdocs, IDFA, Cinéma du Reel, Vision du Réel, Leipzig and have picked up major awards and nominations. SDI Productions Ltd. is one of the leading companies for creative documentary in Scotland and was set up in 2007 as the production arm of SDI.

About MNDAssociation

The Motor Neurone Disease Association is the only national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that funds and promotes global research into the disease and provides support for people affected by MND. It is only through collaboration that a cure for MND will be found and we organise the world’s largest conference for MND researchers and clinicians.

We offer a life-line through accessible information and practical day-to-day support to enable people with MND to live with their diagnosis and achieve the best quality of life possible.

About Edinburgh International Film Festival:

Established in 1947, Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema – and for heralding and debating changes in global filmmaking. Intimate in its scale, ambitious in its scope, and fuelled by pure passion for cinema in all its manifestations, EIFF seeks to spotlight the most exciting and innovative new film talent, in a setting steeped in history.

Notable films premiered in recent years have included: THE IMPOSTER, BRAVE, TABU, THE HURT LOCKER, MOON, FISH TANK, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, MAN ON WIRE, CONTROL, KNOCKED UP, RATATOUILLE, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, TSOTSI and BILLY ELLIOT.

EIFF is supported by Creative Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council, EventScotland, the Scottish Government through the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and the BFI.

The Filmmakers  

©2012 SDI Productions Ltd. in co-production with Danish Documentary Production ApS

Supported by Creative Scotland and Danish Film Institute in association with Channel 4, Wellcome Trust, MNDA, DR, YLE

73min 30s, colour

Available with English and Danish subtitles.

Screening copies on DCP 24fps 5.1 Surround Sound, HDCAM SR 5.1, HDCAM StereoMix,

Digibeta Stereo Mix, BlueRay 5.1 Surround, DVD

The story of three Palestinian girls who swapped any immediate marriage prospects for a life dominated by laptops and social media. The film takes us into their shared home life showing all signs of independence yet without poking fun at tradition.

This short documentary was made during a SDI documentary workshop in Palestine, organised by the British Council & the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society.

Director: Lamees Abd Eljalil
Camera / Sound: Nour Daoud Abu Ghaith
Editor: Mazen Abu Muailiq
Executive Producers: Noe Mendelle & Flore Cosquer
British Council Palestine: Suha Khuffash & Haneen Tartir
Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society: Anis Barghouti & Isra Odeh

Screening Formats: Digi-Beta, DVD

The story of young Palestinian boys spending most of their childhood selling bric-a-brac at military check points in order to supplement their family’s income. Confronted by the daily repression of Israeli army they dream of a future.

This short documentary was made during a SDI documentary workshop in Palestine, organised by the British Council & the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society.

Director: Shireen Abu Hamda
Co-director / Camera / Editor: Yaqoub Al-Tamimi
Producer / Sound: Mohammad Musleh
Executive Producers: Noe Mendelle & Flore Cosquer
British Council Palestine: Suha Khuffash & Haneen Tartir
Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society: Anis Barghouti & Isra Odeh

Screening Formats: Digi-Beta, DVD

The portrait of a local artist who turned one of Ramallah old streets into his studio. His art captures the diversity of his city and his drawings the soul and quirkiness of passers-by.

This short documentary was made during a SDI documentary workshop in Palestine, organised by the British Council & the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society.

Director: Dialla Zidani
Camera/Sound: Amr Assaf
Editor: Isra Odeh
Executive Producers: Noe Mendelle & Flore Cosquer
British Council Palestine: Suha Khuffash & Haneen Tartir
Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society: Anis Barghouti & Isra Odeh

Screening Formats: Digi-Beta, DVD

A lovely old Armenian couple runs a pastry shop in Ramallah.  She bosses him around but always with a smile and an nice word. The yellow canary may be in cage but it keeps singing.

This short documentary was made during a SDI documentary workshop in Palestine, organised by the British Council & the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society.

Director: Mahmoud Al-khawaja
Camera / Assistant Director: Samah Alkhawaja
Sound / Producer: Abdallah Ma’atouq
Editor: Anis Barghouti
Executive Producers: Noe Mendelle & Flore Cosquer
British Council Palestine: Suha Khuffash & Haneen Tartir
Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society: Anis Barghouti & Isra Odeh

Screening Formats: Digi-Beta, DVD

What They Don’t teach You in Film School…

‘Finish film school and you’re entering a labyrinth. Buy your own equipment and you’re still in the dark. Make your first film and you’ve reached the middle of a desert. But don’t worry, we’ve all been there – years, decades or centuries ago. This lecture offers a patchwork of practical advice demystifying and (ir)rationalising the creative, organizational and financial processes in contemporary documentary filmmaking…’ Boris Mitić

Book your seat now!

FREE but places are limited so please RSVP to info@scottishdocinstitute.com

Genevieve Bicknell – Wullie’s Kitchen 
Felipe Bustos Sierra – ¡Nae Pasaran!
Valerie Mellon – The Evolving Scientist
Maurice O’Brien – Buffalo Dreams

What do Scottish buffalo, experimental reflections on food, workers’ solidarity, and an ambitious scientist all have in common? We will find out later this summer!

The films are expected for delivery by the end of May 2013.

Consistently picking up awards, BAFTA’s, special mentions and festival screenings in over 45 countries worldwide, Bridging the Gap is one of the leading documentary new talent initiatives for cinema in the UK. It offers an intense creative training programme alongside production and distribution. This year the four short documentaries have been allocated a budget of up to £16K each (8K cash and in-kind production and mentoring support).

Bridging the Gap is supported by Creative Scotland and Edinburgh College of Art (University of Edinburgh)

Want to know more about storytelling, narrative strategies and film structure?

Join us for a masterclass with Arash T. Riahi, award-winning writer, director and producer specialised in fictional and non-fictional dramaturgy.

Book your seat now!

FREE but places are limited so please RSVP to info@scottishdocinstitute.com

On a mission to put new Scottish documentary on the map, we’re quite pleased with the way 2013 is shaping up. We’ll bring our films to where you are:

FUTURE MY LOVE will screen at the Göteborg International Film Festival this weekend, also competing for the Swedish Church Film Prize. There are very few tickets left! Maja Borg’s film is also going to tour 11 Mexican states as part of Ambulante  from February. In Dazed & Confused magazine, “cinephile extraordinaire” Mark Cousins just called FUTURE MY LOVE:

“a passionate, inventive epistle about the end of days. It’s a rare, lovely, generous, caring, hurt, recovering film, like Adam Curtis meets Star Trek. I loved it.”

I AM BREATHING, “among the year’s most moving films” according to the Hollywood Reporter, will have its Nordic premiere at Doc Point Helsinki  this weekend, with Emma Davie in attendance. We’re also gearing up for worldwide screenings around the Global MND/ALS Awareness Day on 21 June. Can you volunteer?

PABLO’S WINTER will have its US and UK premieres in February, as one of two opening films of Documentary Fortnight at the Museum of Modern Art in New York followed by the Glasgow Film Festival. Chico Pereira’s film has previously only been shown at IDFA in Amsterdam and DOK Leipzig – and won awards at both festivals.

STEM CELL REVOLUTIONS, still enjoying a lot of attention as two scientists in the film just got the Nobel Prize, will come to the Glasgow Film Theatre  next week, on 28 January followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Amy Haridie and science producer Clare Blackburn, and again on 30 January.

Our short films keep touring as well, with POUTERS  winning the C4 Alpha Fund/Sheffield Doc/Fest Award for best documentary at the London Short Film Festival, TAKEAWAY  screening with JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI in Glasgow  as we speak, and Oscar-shortlisted THE PERFECT FIT  is screening with BALLROOM DANCER at GFT   next week.

CUTTING LOOSE, THE PERFECT FIT, and JIMMY will all show at the Reframe Peterborough International Film Festival in Canada this weekend. Of the 2012 Bridging the Gap crop, POUTERS and POLARIS  have been selected for the Glasgow Short Film Festival  next month.

On the training front, you’ll have four weeks left to send your application for Interdoc Scotland and we’ll soon post some portraits of former Interdoc participants on our blog, following our series of interviews with Bridging the Gap alumnae.

The selection process was tough this year again, and we decided to go for 11 projects in the end.

Thank you to everyone who applied. For those who didn’t get selected, Bridging the Gap will be back next year and watch out for other opportunities coming your way.

The short-listed filmmakers now have two months and two intense training workshops ahead of them to get their project ready for the commissioning pitch in early February 2013. We are looking forward to working with them!

Short-listed filmmakers:

Genevieve Bicknell      
David Brodie               
Felipe Bustos Sierra    
Julie French    
Scott Harris                 
Chih-Peng Lucas Kao  
Charlotte Mackie         
Valerie Mellon             
Maurice O’Brien
Jen Randall                 
Yasmin Samir-Shakir   

Bridging the Gap is supported by Creative Scotland and Edinburgh College of Art (Edinburgh University)