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How does film shape global narratives and foster understanding? And how can filmmakers navigate the challenges of representation?Whether it's an iconic sci-fi opening that transports us to a galaxy far, far away or a documentary that reshapes the way we see the world, storytelling through film has an unparalleled power to connect diverse people across borders and cultures.In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson explores the role of film as a tool for cultural exchange, national identity, and social change. Can film help amplify the voices of so-called ‘marginalised communities'? What are the poetics of film-making?Christine is joined by Noé Mendelle, a documentary filmmaker and founder of the Scottish Documentary Institute. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Noé has dedicated her career to telling untold stories and mentoring emerging filmmakers through initiatives like the Stories documentary workshop, a collaboration with the British Council. Together, they discuss the power of documentary filmmaking, the intersection of truth and storytelling, and the impact of film on cultural relations.We also hear from queer rights activist and storyteller Bisi Alimi, founder of Vengiance Productions. Bisi talks about why he's made it his mission to bring authentic queer African stories to our screens and the challenges of securing funding for underrepresented voices in the industry.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of art.Noé Mendelle - Scottish Documentary InstituteNoé Mendelle | Close:Up EdinburghNoé Mendelle Interview: Bridging the Gap, Past & PresentVengiance ProductionsFollow British Council Research and Insight: Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Additional Resources & Links:Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
Amir Amirani is an Iranian-born film director and producer. Amirani joined the BBC in 1992 as a Graduate Production Trainee. He was a writer and researcher for a four-part TV series about the Nobel Prizes. In 1994, he and his brother Taghi founded Amirani Films, which has produced documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, and other British broadcasters, as well as for PBS and other broadcasters abroad. Amir served as writer, director, and cinematographer of the documentary We Are Many, which was released in 2014, an account of the worldwide protests against the Iraq War on February 15, 2003. In 2014, Amirani recorded a series of video “masterclasses” for the Scottish Documentary Institute, in which he shares advice about filmmaking, including choice of topic, the role of the musical score, funding, and the use of films to promote political causes. He is also the co-producer of the 2019 documentary Coup 53, which is about “the 1953 Anglo-American coup d’etat in Iran that changed the course of history.” He has written articles of reportage for the New Statesman, New Scientist, Business Traveller Asia, and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PARCMEDIAFollow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vince_EmanueleFollow Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1713FranklinSt/Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parcmedia/?...#PARCMedia is a news and media project founded by two USMC veterans, Sergio Kochergin & Vince Emanuele. They give a working-class take on issues surrounding politics, ecology, community organizing, war, culture, and philosophy.
This month we bring another remote edition of the podcast, broadcast with video on Cinetopia's social media channels. On this edition of the show, co-producers Amanda Rogers (Cinetopia co-founder) and Jim Ross (Managing Editor of TAKE ONE) review Shannon Murphy's BABYTEETH and Matteo Garrone's PINNOCHIO. We also share segments from our latest Q&A and panel discussions around our recent Cinetopia:DOC - LOVE YOUR LOCAL online series, hosted by co-curator Amaya Bañuelos Marco, including a discussion with director Max Ploeg and sound designer Marten from the Netherland's mid length documentary film, LAST OF THE MOHICANS. The next clip is from a panel discussion that followed our screening of Cinetopia: DOC - Love Your Local screening of the German film, CENTRAL AIRPORT THF, with Soizig Carey (Scottish Refugee Council), Alexandra Colta (Document Human Rights Film Festival, Scottish Documentary Institute), and Violet Hejazi (freelance interpreter, law student) to explore the significance of documentaries which ethically represent the refugee experience and give voice to people seeking refugee protection. Finally, Jim and Amanda suggest short film programmes worth checking out online this month. -------------------- 23:25 - Babyteeth 35:31 - Pinocchio 51:00 - Q&A for Last of the Mohicans 1:07:45 - Panel Discussion for Central Airport THF 1:32:15 - Shorts recommendations Check out all curated content from our Cinetopia: DOC - Love Your Local series online at http://cinetopiashow.com/docclub and our crowdfunder for CINESCAPES at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/cinescapes ------ Short film recommendations- Jim recommends the Mark Jenkin shorts on the BFI Player - https://player.bfi.org.uk/ Amanda recommends checking out the Glasgow Short Film Festival online! https://glasgowshort.org/
This is the first episode focusing on our series of films developed for broadcast on BBC Scotland in association with Screen Scotland as part of the Right Here initiative. Right Here explores the rich diversity of Scottish identity through character-driven stories and beautiful imagery, and this episode we’re discussing Parisa Urquhart and Ling Lee’s 30 minute film, Long Live Livi, which is available now on BBC iPlayer. While there, you can also watch the other two films in the series, Our Fathers and Time to Fly. Long Live Live tells of three ambitious skate girls known as “The Snagglerats”, who formed the group to inspire more girls to skate. They’re on a mission to save Livingston skatepark. In this interview recorded on Zoom, co-directors Parisa and Ling discuss the process of bringing their idea to TV screens and what might be next for the Snagglerats. You can also watch a video of the discussion on our website at scottishdocinstitute.com/masterclasses. First up you’ll hear the Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute, Noe Mendelle, discussing Right Here. Photo credit: Hannah Bailey
For this Zoom Coffee Morning we were joined by freelance editorial and programming consultant, Lynn Nwokorie, who offered advice on applying for film grants. Starting out in production for feature film, commercials and museum projects in both the US and UK, Lynn has since worked across exhibition and distribution for various national festivals and organisations including the BFI London Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, the British Film Institute and the Independent Cinema Office. For three years at Doc Society, Lynn focused on cultivating socially impactful documentary filmmaking at the London and New York-based Doc Society Foundation. Formerly Fund Officer for the BFI Doc Society Fund – the UK’s national fund documentary filmmaking – Lynn now focuses on developing and supporting filmmakers and content creators globally (Doc Society, London Film Festival, Sundance and IFP to name a few) as well as continuing programming for festivals and special events.
We were delighted to host a Masterclass with the Managing Editor of All 4, Charlie Palmer. Charlie Palmer oversees All 4’s content budget, covering original commissions, acquisitions and TV program extras and extensions. Charlie is responsible for adapting All 4’s editorial proposition across different platforms – and create cross-platform promotion and joined up commissioning opportunities. In this Masterclass, Charlie focuses on film branding and marketing, and tells us how to prepare a film for online distribution.
Demelza Kooij is an artist, filmmaker, and lecturer. Her work is presented at film festivals, museums, art exhibitions, and conferences. Her latest film 'Wolves From Above' won the Jury Prize at the 57th Ann Arbor Film Festival. She has previously taught at Edinburgh College of Art and worked at the Scottish Documentary Institute. I talked to Demelza about a few of her films, including her latest work Wolves from Above. We discussed her approach to presenting the work as a single channel installation at Alchemy Film and Arts, projected on the ceiling and viewed from the ground. You can find images, links and more on our website at www.intothemothlight.com
My guest this week is Rebecca Day, a documentary producer and psychotherapist, who began her filmmaking career working for the Scottish Documentary Institute. She has produced the immersive essay film Becoming Animal which uses cinema’s sensory tools to explore humanity’s relationship with the natural environment and is currently producing Silent Men, a personal feature doc about men’s mental health. Alongside that, Rebecca currently offers therapeutic support to filmmakers through her business venture Film In Mind. I particularly love this interview because we explore the ways in which filmmaking can be quite emotionally strenuous and also why this isn’t talked about enough, but equally because Rebecca’s career is quite unique and is testament to the fact that you can do creatively fulfilling and vital work in the film industry away from what might be considered the mainstream. The whole point of this podcast is to discover the wealth of different jobs you can do with an interest film and I think Rebecca is a brilliant example of someone who has taken that interest in a really unusual but necessary direction. This podcast was also recorded on a Skype-esque online platform, so the sound quality isn’t as sparkling as usual - if it ever is - but I will say that it’s important to me to canvas a broad range of perspectives and not always host these interviews in London, because although that’s obviously a key destination for the film industry there is a lot of talent and creativity that exists in the regions and I think it would be remiss of me to neglect that. I have always chosen to opt for variety rather than perfection. So do forgive any sound niggles, and I hope you enjoy the content of the interview all the same.
This is the first of my recorded interviews from the Edinburgh Film Festival. It was a joy to sit down with Flore Cosquer who heads up the Talent Development department at the Scottish Documentary Institute and manages the Institute’s various training initiatives and industry events, including the Edinburgh Pitch, and oversees the production of the flagship filmmaking program Bridging the Gap. SDI are based at the Edinburgh College of Art and specialise in documentary training, production and distribution, supporting filmmakers through their diverse programme of international activities and training schemes. Flore and I discuss why she left behind a career in film production as well as the process of producing her first feature documentary Freedom Fields. The film follows three women and their football team in post-revolution Libya, as the country descends in civil war and the utopian hopes of the Arab Spring begin to fade. Find screenings of the film happening around Europe here: https://www.freedomfieldsfilm.com/screenings
For the February edition of the EH-FM show, Amanda Rogers is joined by Anni Asikainen, Paul Bruce (Edinburgh Short Film Festival), and Jim Ross (Managing Editor, TAKE ONE Magazine). The team discuss the Oscar results and recent film festivals, as well as reviewing Barry Jenkins' new film If Beale Street Could Talk and Lebanese drama Capernaum. Amanda interviews Shona Thomson of A Kind of Seeing, and Jim interviews Gabrielle Brady, director of Island of the Hungry Ghosts, after her recent masterclass at the Scottish Documentary Institute.
This episode features the recording of the IDFA 2018 Industry Session: Data driven audience engagement. Speakers are Sarah Mosses from Together Film and Sonja Henrici of the Scottish Documentary Institute. The session was recorded on November 20, 2018.
What happens when close relations are lead characters not only in your private life, but also feature in your work? Award-winning filmmakers Karen Guthrie (pictured on the poster for her film The Closer We Get), Theresa Moerman Ib and Lucie Rachel join Flore Cosquer of the Scottish Documentary Institute to explore the emotional impact of creating a probing family portrait for the public eye. Chaired by Richard Warden, film lead for the Mental Health Foundation. This discussion was recorded at arts and mental health symposium The Dust of Everyday Life, CCA, Glasgow, 20 April 2017.
The Dust of Everyday Life is an annual conference exploring the arts, mental health and social justice, programmed by the Mental Health Foundation and See Me, Scotland's campaign to end mental health discrimination. Producer Samuel Goldwyn shot down a proposed social purpose film with "If you want to send a message, use Western Union." Although it's now posts and tweets instead of telegrams, does the idea still hold for cinema: more pleasure, less preachy? And even if we agree that films make a difference in combating mental health stigma, is that best done through documentary or drama? Discussing these questions at Dust 2016 - at the CCA in Glasgow on Wednesday 20 April - were director and educator Kate Burton, recently involved in the young person's mental health drama Talk It Out; Sonja Henrici, co-director of the Scottish Documentary Institute and producer of the festival hit Seven Songs for a Long Life (shot at Strathcarron Hospice); Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, who won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival with God Help the Girl; and filmmaker / visual artist Ruth Paxton, whose exploration of a Glasgow man's depression and suicide, Pulse, was a winner at the 2015 London Short Film Festival. The session was chaired by Richard Warden, film lead for the Mental Health Foundation.
Highlights from 2013 Scottish Documentary Institute masterclass with Victor Kossakovsky, held as part of the Edinburgh Int. Film Festival. Video Highlights: http://scotdoc.com/MCvictor Podcast hosted by Duncan Cowles, interview held by Noe Mendelle.
An interview with filmmaker Jessica Oreck, held at the Scottish Documentary Institute, Feb 2014. Video highlights: http://scotdoc.com/mcjessica Interviewed by Duncan Cowles.
A masterclass with filmmaker Boris Mitić held in 2013 by the Scottish Documentary Institute. Boris talks about film festival strategy and how to get the attention of commissioning editors. Video highlights - scotdoc.com/mcboris Podcast hosted by Duncan Cowles
Audio highlights from a 2008 masterclass with film-maker Nick Broomfield held at Edinburgh College of Art by the Scottish Documentary Institute. Podcast edited & hosted by Duncan Cowles