Scotland Film Event Highlights – April 2015

Things get political this month, with Filmhouse, CCA offering interesting cinematic takes on the Iraq war and its aftermath. There's also the return of Dead by Dawn and Harrison Ford is back hunting Replicants in Blade Runner: The Final Cut

Feature by Becky Bartlett | 30 Mar 2015

Blade Runner gets another cinematic outing this month, with the definitive version – Ridley Scott's Final Cut – showing at both the GFT in Glasgow (3-9 Apr) and the Cameo in Edinburgh (6 Apr). Loosely based on Philip K Dick's wonderfully titled sci-fi classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the film famously suffered at the hands of the studios, with several versions, including a ‘director's cut’, being released. Here's your chance to see Scott's dystopian, paranoid vision of the future as he truly intended – don't miss it.

Winner of This is Horror's UK Event of the Year, Dead by Dawn returns to the Filmhouse in Edinburgh this month (23-26 Apr), bringing its usual eclectic mix of horror classics, new independent films, short film programmes, special guests and party games – as well as the Shit Film Amnesty, attendants will be invited to participate in a game of Punk Pass the Parcel, whatever that is. The programme has yet to be announced, but tickets will sell out fast – check the website for updates.

Acclaimed documentarist Laura Poitras' post-9/11 trilogy – three documentaries, each examining different aspects of the world after the terrorist attacks in 2001 – is showing at the Filmhouse, in partnership with the Scottish Documentary Institute. The season begins with Oscar-nominated My Country, My Country (8 Apr), and is followed by The Oath (9 Apr), a fascinating investigation of two men's apparent involvement with Bin Laden and the repercussions of such affiliation, and Citizenfour (11 Apr), charting the filmmaker's meetings with whistleblower Edward Snowden. The Filmhouse and SDI are also presenting a special workshop in conjunction with the screenings.

At the CCA on 11 Apr, Thinking Media Scotland is hosting “Shock and Awe” to “Liberation”: Iraq 2003 and the Media, an event marking twelve years after the supposed liberation of Iraq. As well as a special screening of documentary Control Room, charting the international perception of the Iraq War courtesy of Arab news station Al Jazeera, the event includes a panel debate featuring experts and journalists.

This month's Club VHS screening at the Grosvenor, presented by Faith in Film, is Ginger Snaps (18 April), a werewolf movie that has become a contemporary cult classic thanks to its charismatic female leads, tongue-in-cheek approach to body horror, and teen themes. For a limited time tickets for the film are free, so get yours quick.