Young Programmers with Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) selected four films to screen at Edinburgh Filmhouse between the 29 and 31 March.
Timed to coincide with the UK’s originally intended departure from the EU, the project was designed to educate the young programmers about the rich history of European cinema and the screenings were a way to reaffirm that European cinema will always have a place in our hearts, and on our screens, here at Filmhouse, Edinburgh and at EIFF.
Emilija Morisson, a young programmer who is participating in Moving Cinema for the second time, said:‘’Our public screenings at the end of March will bring European cinema to the forefront, ensuring that, when it comes to film, the relationships between us remain just as strong as they once were.’’
The Edinburgh Young Programmers selected very different titles, which demonstrate the diversity of European cinema across the years and across genres. Films included:
Exit Through The Gift Shop by Bansky (United Kingdom, 2010)
Victoria by Sebastian Schipper (Germany, 2015)
Girl by Lukas Dhont (Belgium, 2018)
Les Diaboliques by H. G. Clouzot (France, 1955)
Our Young Programmers experienced the selection process from brainstorming to final decision making stage. We started off with a long list of titles –suggested by staff members and young programmers– which the Young Programmers narrowed down to ten films with the help of programming experts from the Filmhouse and EIFF. Each film viewing was followed by a discussion which was taken into consideration when selecting the final four films.
Young Programmers not only watched an eclectic selection of European films but also experienced co-designing the publicity Zine with Out of the Blue Print (an Edinburgh based print studio) and making digital marketing content with High Tide Media. The Moving Cinema weekend was the culmination of 6 months of work and an experiences they will not forget!
Our Young Programmers enjoyed presenting the films to our audience. They experienced the excitement of seeing their selected films on the big screen as well as the thrill of public speaking. Ricardo Bradley, first time Young Programmer, said of his experience: ‘’Hosting the screening for Exit Through the Gift Shop was both a really scary and exhilarating experience for me, definitely something I’ll never forget.’’
Our Young Programmers and audience members enjoyed some fantastic introductions and talks. Ricardo opened the weekend with a great introduction, getting everybody excited for a weekend of European films. Sophie Rebecca talked to our audience about her experience becoming a ballet dancer and the conversation she had with Girl’s filmmaker Lukas Dhont about bringing the story to life. Richard and Robert from the Film Look gave us an insight into how the Victoria cast and crew managed to pull off this incredible one shot stunt, while Adele Hartley talked to our audience about her passion for the horror genre.
This experience was positively enjoyed by our audience and guests who thanked our Young Programmers ‘’for being such great hosts and having such fine taste in films!’’.
We are now busy selecting and badging films for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Our Young Programmers will build up on their experience hosting the Moving Cinema weekend when presenting films and hosting Q&As with visiting filmmakers during the festival in June. But there is even more to look forward to: Moving Cinema will be back at Filmhouse in 2020 with an exciting Valentine’s Day special selection of European film.
To find out more aboutour Young Programmers and Moving Cinema in Edinburgh: https://www.filmhousecinema.com/latest/our-young-programmers-talk-us-about-moving-cinema
