XpoNorth announce film showcase lineup

After receiving over 2,500 film submissions from filmmakers across the globe, XpoNorth’s programmers have whittled these entries down to a 69 film showcase to be screened in June to the festival’s audience, who'll include screen and broadcast professionals and festival attendees.

Amanda Millen, director of XpoNorth, said the selection process has been a “real insight into how grassroots filmmaking is thriving in every corner of the globe.” She points to the affordability and availability of filmmaking equipment as a key to this strength of submissions: “The digital age is opening doors for people to make films on a budget wherever they are based. There were some very strong submissions from filmmakers based in the Highlands and Islands and other parts of Scotland.”

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 XpoNorth announce music showcase lineup

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Of the 69 submitted films this year, 33 will be screened at Eden Court in La Scala cinema from 10am-5pm on both days of the festive while the other 36 will screen as part of the conference programme, one film being shown at the start of each conference session over both days.

As well as the XpoNorth showcase, there are also several programmes by guest curators. Highlights look to be BAFTA’s short programme, which includes Simon Cartwright's wild puppet animation Manoman; Scottish Documentary Institute’s three-film lineup, which includes Ottica Zero, from Future My Love director Maja Borg; and special programmes from Sweden and Hungary.

XpoNorth takes place in various venues across Inverness, 8-9 June. The full film lineup, as well as the specially curated programmes are listed below in full.

For more information, head to xponorth.co.uk and keep an eye on theskinny.co.uk/festivals/uk-festivals for more announcements.

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XpoNorth 69 film showcase:

  

ALEXANDER ZELENTSOV, THE DAY OF CHERNOBYL - Mike Baudoncq (France)

ALL CATS ARE PINK IN THE DARK - Guillaume Renusson (France)

A NATURAL OCCUPATION - Florin Andreescu (Romania)

BAITS AND HOOKS - Luka Popadic (Switzerland)

BEST MAN - Seyland Baxter, Jamie Brown (UK)

CINNAMON SKIN - Alejandro De Vega (Spain)

CLASSMATE - Javier Marco Rico (Spain)

DYAB - Mazin M Sherabayani (Iraq)

EGO LIGHT - Phillippe Jasmin (France)

ELECTRIC FACES - Johnny Herbin (UK)

GAME OF LIFE - Agnès Vialleton (France)

LADRONES DE TIEMPO - Fran X Rodríguez (Spain)

LIFE INSIDE 'ISLAMIC STATE' - Scott Coello (UK)

MOVING IN CIRCLES - Maxim Dashkin (Russian Federation)

NEIGHBOURS - Gabriel Khotivari (Georgia)

NO FIXED MOTIVE - Jerome Peters (Belgium)

O2 - Sam Jones (UK)

PERCEPTION - Mark S Wright (UK)

RED SKY ON THE BLACK ISLE - Lisa Marley (UK)

REQUITED LOVE - Cristina Ki Casini (Italy)

SERORI - Pedro Collantes (Netherlands)

SPOON - Jalal Veisi (Iran)

STATIONARY - Mac Nixon (UK)

STILL LIFE: PORTRAIT OF A FIGHTER - Kieran Hennigan (UK)

THE AGE OF REASON - Mathilde Petit (France)

THE BELLS OF CASTERBRIDGE - Keira Brown (UK)

THE LAST BRIDGE OPERATOR - Lidi Toepoel (Netherlands)

THE HOUSE IN THE ENVELOPE - Sanela Salketic (Germany)

THE ROMANCE CLASS - Stuart Elliott (UK)

THE WALL - Michal Blaško (Czech Republic)

WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT COSMOS - Konstantin Bronzit (Russian Federation)

WE'RE HERE NOW - Nikki Richardson (Australia)

WE SIT. WE DRINK. NO GUNS. - Nicci Thompson, Matt Hielsberg (USA/UK)

Curated Programmes:

BAFTA SHORTS    

EDMOND - Nina Gantz

MANOMAN - Simon Cartwright

MINING POEMS OR ODES - Callum Rice

OPERATOR - Caroline Bartleet

OVER - Jorn Threlfall

PROLOGUE - Richard Williams

SAMUEL - Billy Lumby

BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE HIGHLAND FILM ACADEMY    

ABSENCE - Lauren McAllen

THE QUANDARY - Kane Stewarts

BFI HIGHLAND BEHIND THE SCENES - Tristan Aitchison

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS    

MEDIAWAVE, HUNGARY   

BLACK OUT - Borbála Mészáros & Zsuzsanna Rádóczy

CHICCUP - János Izer & Máté Tóth Heyn

DIRTY WORK - Dániel Füzes

RE-EXAMINATION - Balázs Bozzay

THE HANGNAIL PICKER - Krisztián Király

URBAN BLINDNESS - Luca Anna Molnár & Zoltán Debreczeni

WARBURG - Dávid Borbás

LIVE AT HEART, SWEDEN

BOY-RAZOR - Peter Pontikis

EXPOSURE - Björn Van Weiden

I'VE GOT YOU BACK - Sebastian Lagerkvist

THE KEEPER - Öystein Thorsen

SCOTTISH DOCUMENTARY INSTITUTE

OTTICA ZERO - Maja Borg

POUTERS - Paul Fegan

THE THIRD DAD - Theresa Moerman

SCREEN ACADEMY SCOTLAND

TRANSIT ZONE - Frederik Subei

Chaired by Richard Warden, Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival

UK PREMIER

HULA - Robin Haig

Q&A WITH DIRECTOR - Chaired by Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival