5 films backed by Screen Scotland have been selected for the Sundance Film Festival in Utah next year.
They include The Incomer, Lady, Everybody to Kenmure Street, Birds of War and The Story of Documentary.
“Every one of these titles is entertaining, urgent and creatively uncompromising,” said Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland.
“It’s deeply rewarding to see Scotland’s creative achievements reflected in Sundance’s programme. Supporting original storytelling — from early development through to established careers — is a core part of Screen Scotland’s strategy. This selection showcases not only the vision of our filmmakers, but the breadth of talent and commitment across Scotland’s screen sector. Congratulations to all the teams heading to Park City — we look forward to what comes next.”
Everybody to Kenmure Street [pictured] is directed by Glasgow-based Felipe Bustos Sierra and produced by Ciara Barry of Glasgow-based production company barry crerar.
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It looks at the U.K. Home Office dawn raid in May 2021, which triggered one of the most spontaneous and successful acts of civil resistance in recent memory. In Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhood, hundreds of residents rushed to the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbours.
“ETKS is a hopeful film that celebrates the power of community,” said Barry.
“In an increasingly divided world where many feel disenfranchised, it allows us to believe in our collective agency to enact change. This film is deeply personal to us, as residents of the Glasgow community where the film is set, and participants of the protest on the day, we are excited to share this film with international audiences and are proud to celebrate its message.”
Birds of War is a love story of London-based Lebanese journalist and Syrian activist/cameraman as told through 13 years of personal archives across revolutions, war and exile. The film is produced by Edinburgh-based producer Sonja Henrici and directed & produced by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak.
Both will have their world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition
The Story of Documentary is an innovative exploration of the documentary form from the dawn of cinema to the present day, encompassing stories from across the globe.
Feminist, jargon-free and international in scope, the film offers a vivid portrait of lives, societies, wars, families, journeys, creativity, relationships and struggles.
It’s directed by Mark Cousins and produced by John Archer of Hopscotch Films.
“This is the third cinema epic that Hopscotch Films have made with the amazing Mark Cousins, following The Story of Film and Women Make Film,” said Archer.
“We’re delighted that it begins its global rollout in Sundance, 100 years since John Grierson coined the word documentary.”
Lady is based in the African metropolis of Lagos, where a fiercely independent young cab driver meets a band of radiantly reckless sex workers whose sisterhood pulls her into danger and joy, setting her on a journey toward her own transformation.
It’s written and directed by Olive Nwosu and was developed and produced by Ossian International, producer Alex Polunin’s company based in Glasgow.
Its World Premiere will be part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.
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Closer to home, The Incomer is set on a remote Scottish island, where 2 siblings survive by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories of their ancestors, and defending the isle from dreaded ‘Incomers’. Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland.
Filmed on location in Caithness, The Incomer was directed by Edinburgh-based Louis Paxton and co-produced by Edinburgh-based producer Wendy Griffin alongside Shirley O’Connor and Emily Gotto.
Two other films, Filipiñana and Extra Geography are made by Scotland-based talent.
The former, is directed by Rafael Manuel and set in the self-contained cosmos of an elite golf course and country club in Manila. It follows ‘tee-girl’ Isabel as she learns the rules and tests the boundaries of her new job.
Filipiñana was developed and produced by Ossian International, producer Alex Polunin’s company based in Glasgow.
Extra Geography is co-produced by Edinburgh-based producer Wendy Griffin. In an English girls boarding school, two teenage best friends grapple with the challenges of girlhood — friendship, boys, studies, and growing up — and embark on their school project, falling in love.
“I am really pleased to see these films be selected for the Sundance Film Festival, showcasing the incredible breadth of creativity in Scotland,” said Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.
“The Scottish Government is committed to building on the exceptional growth of Scotland’s screen sector. The funding, facilities, talent, crew, and specialist support available in Scotland mean that an ever-increasing number of, hugely exciting and ambitious domestically originated projects, such as these, are able to take shape and succeed on the global stage.”
