Edinburgh Film News July 2006

Following success in the Scottish BAFTAs, it seems that graduates of Edinburgh's academic institutions can't stop picking up awards. This time around a graduate of Edinburgh's College of Art, Joseph Feltus, managed to scoop two awards in one month for his surreal animated short 'Solo Duets'.
First stop was the 46th Cracow Film Festival in Poland where he picked up the splendidly named Silver Dragon for Best Animated Film. Not content with this he also won the prestigious Jim Poole Scottish Short Film Award. No fancy mythologically inspired trophy on this occasion - sadly, Joseph had to content himself with the first prize of £1000. The short itself is an inspired affair, eschewing the current trend for computer generated animation and using puppetry and stop motion animation. In it a lonely old man sits in a room whilst his memory reconstructs itself around him in surreal and incredible detail. The short has just started a run of screenings at festivals worldwide so let's hope it makes a stop at the EIFF.

Good news this month for the aspiring Charlie Kaufmans out there who don't have tuppence ha'penny to rub together. 'The Writer's Factory Introduction to Screenwriting' is a 22 week evening class dedicated to teaching pupils the art, science and business of screenwriting. Now in its third year and being run in conjunction with the Screen Academy Scotland, the course is designed by screenwriting guru Phil Parker and costs only £195 (£150 concessions). The new term begins in September but all previous courses have been filled very quickly so get your application in now if you fancy taking part.

Finally, the Filmhouse are showing just the movie to get you into the mood for that fortnight on the French Riviera with a one–off screening of Jacques Tati's 'Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot'. Beanpole comedian Tati's physical comedy owed more to Chaplin or Keaton than his contemporaries and 'Les Vacances' remarkably won a Best Writing Oscar nomination in 1956 despite the scarcity of dialogue. It may be damning him with faint praise but Tati's Hulot character seems to have everything that his modern day imitator Mr. Bean doesn't: subtlety, skill and humour.