The CineSkinny on Tour: The line-up

Anyone with one eye on the Scottish short film scene will know it's in an artistic purple patch at the moment, with a generation of talented young filmmakers perennially making noteworthy shorts spilling over with wit and invention, often on budgets that couldn't even be described as shoestring. This short scene is so vibrant, in fact, that we wanted to put together a showcase of some of the best work and take it to a couple of our favourite venues around Scotland.

Our callout for Scotland-based filmmakers to send us their shorts confirmed our suspicion that grassroots filmmaking in this country is in fine creative health. What struck us most was the diversity of the selection sent to us, taking in fine-grained documentary, compelling narrative work and imaginative animation. After much agonising, we've put together a programme of some of the best films submitted, which we'll be taking to two of our favourite Scottish venues this month: Summerhall in Edinburgh (8 May) and CCA in Glasgow (22 May). 

We’re also delighted to be able to hand out some prizes to our showcase filmmakers. Each of our showcase filmmakers will receive a year’s subscription to MUBI, and one top prize-winner will receive equipment hire worth up to £600, courtesy of Glasgow-based video production company Production Attic.

Among CineSkinny on Tour's eclectic lineup, expect films about teen motorbike racers, horrific haircuts, turncoat rodents, violent nights out in Glasgow, lanky clowns, wannabe bullfighters, a creepy trip to the loft, the nightmare that is the school playground and a quarter-life crisis down your local chip shop. The full lineup (subject to change), in alphabetical order, is below.

The CineSkinny on Tour

Autocrat Waltz by Stara Zagora (Dir. Fraser Denholm)
"This is the second music video I’ve made for Stara Zagora... The idea itself comes from a hypothetical ‘what if’ relating to an atmosphere-suited lone survivor traversing a sparse, post-Apocalyptic landscape."

Birds of Passage by Breabach (Dir. Cat Bruce)
"Birds of Passage, Breabach’s first single from new album Frenzy of the Meeting is based on the fragile dreams of migration. The video by award winning Edinburgh based animator Cat Bruce, uses the simple imagery of birds in flight, evoking the hardship and dangers, triumphs and beauty of this important topic."

Chibbed (Dir. James Price)
"Chibbed is a experimental short film that uses non-contextualised violence to explore the aftermath of an incident that is known all too well to Glasgow. The story was inspired by an event that happened to a close friend that left him having to walk to A&E bleeding freely. The film was shot over the course of one freezing cold night in Glasgow with a budget of around £100."

Decor (Dir. Kris Cummins)
"Decor is a short Scottish horror about a young couple that head into their loft to fetch Halloween decorations…only to find something more sinister."

We Lie To Ourselves by The Ghosts (Dir. Owen Rixon)
"In the film a mouse, forced to work for a prey-killing, corporate machine run by cats, takes drastic action against his opressors. "

The Racer (Dir. Alex Harron)
"The documentary tells the story of a champion motorcyclist, Jodie Chalk. In most sports’ talent shines through, but money is required in motorsport.  As a woman in the sport she’s had to overcome prejudice to reach the top.  Her love of racing and her bond with her father drives them both forward to realize Jodie’s dream."

Slap (Dir. Simone Smith)
"Chewing gum and teddy bears collide in a Kaleidescopic and disturbing schoolyard drama of a girl trying to fit in."

Salt & Sauce (Dir. Alia Ghafar)
"Stuck in a post high-school limbo, Tammy works long days in the family chip shop. The only relief from the daily slog is her friendship with her colleague Jordan and her love for photography. Through the people around her, Tammy soon realises she can't avoid her future."

To Be a Torero (Dir. Inma de Reyes)
"In a small town in Spain, 12 year old Borja and his younger brother Erik are being raised solely by their unemployed mother. Hoping that he can bring wealth to the family, Borja's grandad encourages him to become a torero, or bullfighter, following a dream he couldn't accomplish."

Toxic Haircut (Dir. Bryan M Ferguson)
A 90 second horror odyssey about getting a haircut, from one of The Skinny's favourite short filmmakers, Bryan M Ferguson.

A Waking Nightmare (Dir. Becky Hollis)
"A Waking Nightmare explores the nightmarish phenomenon of sleep paralysis. Set in the 1970s in a secluded country mansion, Dr Mirot invites sleep paralysis sufferer Lucy to contribute to his study... The costumes and puppetry were designed as part of Becky’s MFA in Performance Costume at Edinburgh College of Art, which was the original inspiration for the film."

Widdershins (Dir. Simon Biggs)
"This fast-paced comic tale blends science-fiction and Victorian period drama to explore the consequences of automation and artificial intelligence on our lives. This parallel animated world is brought to life in a distinctive illustrative black and white style, and features the voice talent of legendary Dundonian and award winning actor Brian Cox (Succession, Manhunter, X-Men 2)."

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The Cineskinny on Tour: 8 May, Summerhall Red Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh – more info here; 22 May, CCA, Glasgow – more info here