Festivals made in London shipped to Scotland

The Edinburgh Film festival Is the oldest film festival in the world, honouring over 70 years.

However - The Edinburgh Film Festival has become “a festival made in London and then shipped up to Edinburgh Scotland”, according to Siobhan Sinnuck, the BBC media correspondent. She claims that all jobs and 90% of the Submissions are based outside of Scotland – with only one submission from Scotland. 

 

How can this be a stepping stone for Scottish film makers? Or be key to offering young people opportunities. Also these festivals are backed and funded by the tax payer via Creative Scotland funds. Jobs are not available to Scots. 

 

The BBC is also shutting down Scotland’s longest running soap, River City, another stepping stone here in Scotland for aspiring actors and film makers.  

This year the Film Festival 2025 will show the six Sean Connery Bond films, a documentary on Irvine Welsh, plus a premier by new director Renée Zellweger. The EFF website claims the festival is “rooted in local Scots contest whilst embracing the international diversity of creative expression.”

EFF 2025 offers - 

“Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence” – and a world class showcase for independent films.

 To embrace a sense of discovery, experimentation and cross-arts collaborations. 

https://www.edfilmfest.org

Brexit & the Arts

The Arts thrive on melting pots and diversities, as does science and innovations. In fact that Bohemia energy can be essential for renewals and creativity.

Never mind our science and medicine - the creative industries are the UKs biggest export. They rely on collaborations and inter-connections to other cultures. Creativity has boomed since Europeans came here and some of the best people came here. Art is often encouraged by different voices.

Ken Loach’s funding comes from Europe and there is a lot of funding from France. Good films are not being commissioned here. The award-winning film director Ken Loach –  said in a recent tv interview that his tv docudrama ‘Cathy come Home’(1766) would not get made today. It would be stopped, he said, and it wouldn’t even get passed the script stage. 

He also has criticised the BBC News coverage as “manipulative and deeply political”. He is promoting his Palme d’Or-winning film about a man’s struggle with the UK benefits system, I, Daniel Blake, said there was a need to “democratise” the corporation. “Diversify it so that different regions can make their own dramas. And its notion of news has got to be challenged.”

We are not telling our stories and not being heard, he claimed.

Perhaps the rest of England is also fed up with all the focus and resources heading to London too?