Scottish Shorts 2018 – Shortlisted Projects 

Following a great response and tough selection process, we’re pleased to confirm the 13 projects shortlisted to participate in the 2018 Scottish Shorts programme.

The teams, selected from a strong field of submissions, will attend a series of workshops throughout May and June to develop their short film ideas from outline to polished script.

In July all teams will pitch to an industry panel made up of representatives from the Centre for the Moving Image, DigiCult, Hopscotch Films and Creative Scotland. Six projects will then be selected to go into production, each receiving a budget of £15,000.

The filmmakers and projects selected for Scottish Shorts 2018 are:

• BROTHERS (drama)
  Co-Writer(s)/Co-Director(s): Alasdair Bayne & Marina Notaraki
• CHINA PANDA (comedy/drama)
  Writer/Director: Yvonne Zhang
• CHUB ISLAND (animation)
  Writer/Director: Ben Cresswell; Producer: Jamie Fraser
• DARK ROAD (drama)
  Writer/Director: Rory Gibson
• DO NO HARM (comedy/drama)
• Writer: Rosy Barnes; Director: Douglas King
• DUCK DAZE (comedy)
  Writer: Julia Taudevin
• EDUCATED (drama)
  Writer/Director: Tom Nicoll
• EXPENSIVE SHIT (drama)
  Writer/Director: Adura Onashile; Producer(s): Ciara Barry & Rosie Crerar
• HEN HOUSE (comedy)
  Writer/Director: Niamh Mckeown; Producer: Alexandra Porter-Smith
• I WANTY GO HAME (black comedy)
  Writer/Director: James Price; Producer: Dave Gillies
• LUCKY STAR (drama)
  Writer/Director: Russell Davidson; Producer: David Neilson
• SCUM (drama)
• Writer/Director: Sean Dunn; Producer: Alex Polunin
• THE SONGSTRESS OF THE MOUSE FOLK (animation)
  Writer/Director: Josephine Self

Thanks to everyone who came to the Edinburgh and Aberdeen launch events for The Scottish Film Talent Network. We still have three more launch dates in Scotland over the next couple of weeks.

SFTN is a new initiative that offers support to upcoming writers, directors and producers that are either based in or from Scotland. It is funded by Creative Scotland and BFI, and delivered by DigiCult, Hopscotch and The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI). It represents the Scottish part of the BFI NET.WORK, a talent development programme running across the UK.

The SFTN will work with emerging filmmakers as they prepare for their first feature, and will also help new talent break into the market by developing and producing shorts.

Events still to come:

These are free, walk-in events. Please join us to meet the team and hear news on all upcoming development and production opportunities.

Tracks 2006 (Martin Smith) Producer Karen M Smyth

Twelve teams of emerging writers, directors, animators and producers have been shortlisted for the Scottish Shorts programme 2012/13. The twelve live action and animation films will be developed over the next 3-4 months before being pitched to an industry panel. Four high-quality projects will then be selected for production in spring 2013.

The programme is a collaboration between Hopscotch Films and DigiCult with investment from Creative Scotland, and draws on the experience of acclaimed producers John Archer, Carolynne Sinclair Kidd and Paul Welsh. They bring an extensive mix of talent and experience to the programme offering invaluable support and expertise to the chosen film-makers, helping to create high quality projects and equipping film-makers with the skills to break into features and promote their work on a national and international platform.

Several of those shortlisted have already achieved acclaim for their previous work. Ian Robertson’s highlights to date include Best European Animation at the Young Director Awards in Cannes, a BAFTA New Talent Award in 2011 for The Chameleon, Best Drama at Exposures Film Festival and Best Film at the British Student Film festival in 2012 for his short film ‘The Phone Box’. Ainslie Henderson’s Edinburgh College of Art graduation film ‘I Am Tom Moody’ won awards for Best British Short at Encounters 2012, Best Student Film at Krok 2012, and both the Grand Walt Disney student short award and Ottawa media prize at Ottawa International Film Festival 2012. Martin Smith won the 2006 BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Short Film with his short film Tracks.

The shortlist:

‘As He lay Uncertain’ Writer/Director: Ian Waugh
‘Exchange and Mart’ Writer/Director: Cara Connolly & Martin Clark
‘Frankie and Adam’ (Animation/Live Action) Director: Michael Hughes; Writer/Director: Jessica Connell
‘Hedgehog’ (Animation) Writer/Director: Ania Leszczynska; Co-writer & Producer: Jessica Connell
‘Monkey Love Experiments’ (Animation) Writer/Director: Ian Robertson: Producer/Co-writer: Sam Ferguson
‘Take Your Partners’ Writer/Director: Siri Rodnes
“The House That Makes Children Old’ Director: Matt Cameron: Writer: Tom K McCarthy
‘The Whale’s Song’ (Animation) Writer/Director: Andy Kaiser; Joseph Atkinson
Untitled Project Writer/Director: Martin Smith
‘Wild’ Writer/Director: Alasdair Bayne
‘Wiyuld’ Writer/Director: Rory Alexander Stewart

Paul Welsh of DigiCult said:

“Judging by the quality of entries for the programme, Scotland has a strong passion for narrative film-making. We’re excited about working on these wonderful projects with the talent.”

John Archer of Hopscotch Films commented:

“We were overwhelmed by terrific submissions and have a very strong shortlist to develop further. We look forward to some brilliant productions.”

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland commented:

“Congratulations to the film-makers shortlisted for the first Scottish Shorts programme. This programme brings talent to the forefront and their skills and knowledge will thrive under the guidance of Paul, John and Carolynne, taking them to the next level in their careers and strengthening film-making in Scotland.”

Over the coming moths Digicult will release more information regarding the talent and progression of the Scottish Shorts Programme 2012/13.

Working in partnership with Hopscotch Films, Digicult is about to launch a new short film development and production initiative for Scottish based producers, writers and directors for 2012/13.

Over the next five months, Scottish Shorts will develop up to 10 teams with short film proposals before commissioning four high quality live action and animated films early in 2013.

Keep up to date with this new project on the Digicult and Hopscotch websites. Scottish Shorts 2012/13 is due to launch Monday 10th September.

As part of GI – Glasgow’s biennial festival of visual art – this weekend at Tramway you can take part in a unique film-theater-visual art collaboration featuring one of DigiCult’s most experienced alumni, Graham Eatough (Lament 2003, Missing 2007).

Funded by Creative Scotland, The Making of Us is a cross-media, cross-platform  collaboration between film/theatre writer-director Graham, visual artist Graham Fagen and director of photography Michael McDonough (Winter’s Bone), managed and staged at Tramway by another DigiCult alumni, veteran Scottish producer Angela Murray (Room for The Night, 2002).

For an insight into the thinking behind the project, watch this video. And for tickets, contact Tramway direct. There’s a limited number of performances over the weekend – Friday 20th (8pm), Saturday 21st (3pm, 8pm) and Sunday 22nd (8pm). Tickets are free but need to be booked in advance (with returnable deposit of £5).

As part of the audience for Making of Us, you will become part of the film resulting from the weekend’s live performance.

Following two months of hard graft on their story, script and project ideas, Eva Riley and Tom Chick have been commissioned  by DigiCult and Creative Scotland to produce their first funded shorts with the company.

Eva’s naturalistic piece ‘Sweetheart’ tells the story of two sisters struggling with their inter-dependency and competing sexuality. And Tom’s lyrical re-telling of the traditional tale ‘Death In A Nut’ draws inspiration from the films of Bill Douglas, deftly exploring a son’s struggle with a stranger who comes to visit his ailing mother.

Congratulations to both these film-makers and commiserations to the remainder of the short film talent pool. Everyone worked hard throughout the development process: Ryan Adams, Antonia Bain, Hugh Farrell, Sam Firth, Neil Hepburn and Mark Rossi. DigiCult wishes you every success with your future film projects.

Alongside Zack Copping’s ‘Foxy and Marina‘ (in post production), ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Death in A Nut’ complete DigiCult’s short film slate for 2011.

Congratulations to Michael Pearce and the team behind DigiCult’s Rite for winning the Best Long Form Drama award at Rushes Soho Shorts (July 2011). Since completing the production in October 2010, Michael has continued to develop his writing and directing career, participating in the Torino Film Lab with the Jersey set thriller ‘Beast’.

Mike (Martin Herdman above) takes his estranged son out for his birthday; desperate to prove he’s a reformed man. But drink and the simmering violence of match day threaten to bring out the worst in him.

Rite premiered at the 54th London Film Festival. For more information on the film, please visit its catalogue page on the site. And click below for information on all the winning films from Rushes Soho Shorts website.

DigiCult’s Foxy And Marina (Writer/Director Zach Copping) shoots this week. Here’s a sneak preview of the action and a glimpse of the set in Glasgow’s West End.

A lyrical romance set in the not-so-romantic world of heroin addiction, this original story follows a young boy from Skye as he flirts with the idea of giving-up and returning home to the islands. Killing time on his last day in the city, Foxy (Lorne MacFadyen) visits his dealer where he meets Marina (Pollyanna McIntosh) and falls in love …

Running at 25 minutes, Foxy and Marina is Zach’s second short film. His HoD’s include David Liddell (DoP), Stephen Carney (1st AD), Natalie Astridge (Designer), Layla Mall (Costume) and Tahira Herold (Make-Up). Zach’s first short Cotopaxi – a GMAC DigiCult production in 2005 – was BAFTA Scotland nominated for Best Short and competed for the Silver Bear at Berlinale. You can watch the film on BBC Film Network.

All Stills by Chris Baron

Funded by Creative Scotland and UK Film Council, Zak Copping’s long short ‘Foxy and Marina’ shoots this weekend in Glasgow (Saturday 2nd April, 6 days). A lyrical romance set in the not-so-romantic world of heroin addiction, this original story follows a young boy from Skye as he flirts with the idea of giving-up and returning home to the islands. Killing time on his last day in the city, Foxy (Lorne MacFadyen) visits his dealer where he meets Marina (Pollyanna McIntosh) and falls in love …

Lorne MacFadyen (Foxy, ‘Foxy and Marina’)

Pollyanna McIntosh (Marina, ‘Foxy and Marina’)

‘Foxy and Marina’ was originally developed as one of UK Film Council’s Digital Nation shorts in 2o1o.

The film is being produced by Paul Welsh and Pip Farnese for DigiCult.