Film Event Highlights – June 2012

Refugee Week, taking place between 18-24 June, aims to recognise the contribution refugees make in Scotland, educate people on related issues, and to have fun while doing so. With over 100 events across the country, several films are included, such as The Colour of the Ocean, playing at both the Filmhouse (19 Jun) and the GFT (20 Jun). The director, Maggie Peren, will be attending both screenings for a short talk about her film, a drama about two refugees, a father and son, who are washed ashore in the Canaries. For details of the entire programme, go to www.refugeeweekscotland.com.

Zombies have come a long way since White Zombie, their first voodoo-inspired film debut in 1932, evolving from brainwashed slaves to brain-eating corpses. The Plague of the Zombies, a 1966 film, bridges this gap between Haitian mythology and the more familiar undead made popular by George A Romero. Showing at the DCA in Dundee on 12 June, don't miss this rare opportunity to see one of the more thought-provoking films to emerge from Hammer Studios.

Whether it's bird flu, mad cow disease or swine flu, it seems that every year there is a new epidemic set to wipe humanity off the face of the earth. Despite our resilience to annihilation so far, could it actually happen? And more importantly, has Hollywood taught us how to survive? The CCA is screening Steven Soderberg's Contagion, a seemingly realistic portrayal of the affects of a global pandemic, on 15 June as part of the Glasgow Science Festival 2012. The film will be followed by a Q&A session with a panel of experts in infectious diseases from the University of Glasgow.

Woody Allen fans should head to the Cameo in Edinburgh between 9-12 June, where four of the prolific director's films are being shown. Beginning with Annie Hall and ending with Bananas, the mini season also includes Manhattan and Sleeper. These films showcase Allen at his finest during the 1970s, and all showcase the superb collaboration between him and Diane Keaton.

The Belmont in Aberdeen is hosting a special screening of Mission to Lars, a new documentary by James Moore and William Spicer. Spicer's brother, Tom, has a rare form of autism and is obsessed with Lars Ulrich, drummer for Metallica. The documentary follows the family as they attempt to make Tom's dream of meeting his hero come true. The screening, taking place on 13 June, includes a special Q&A session – guests yet to be announced.