Scottish Film Events: August 2024

If you’ve not had the chance to check out Offline, the relatively new DIY cinema and exhibition space in Glasgow’s Govanhill, then you’ve plenty of reasons to head there this month. First, there’s (DIS)COMFORT: Paradoxes of the Heart, a weekend-long exhibition delving into the psychological and emotional intricacies of art-horror. Two masterworks are screening as part of the weekend: Dario Argento’s Suspiria, which opens the exhibition on 1 August, and Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession, which brings the exhibition to a close on 3 August. 

Also at Offline in August there’s CineRoma 2.0, the second edition of the Roma film festival presenting a diverse selection of films by Roma people. The festival kicks off with Carmen, No Fear of Freedom on 8 August, and closes with Latcho Drom on 10 August, with a host of features, shorts and events in between. 

It’s a busy month at Glasgow Film Theatre too. There’s an unmissable season dedicated to the undersung talents of American indie filmmaker John Sayles, featuring Matewan (5&7 Aug), City of Hope (25 & 28 Aug), Eight Men Out (11 & 14 Aug) and his wonderful Lone Star (16-22 Aug), which is getting a wider rerelease too. If you prefer your films to be brilliantly bleak, how about Hungarian master Béla Tarr? GFT's mini Tarr retrospective includes Werckmeister Harmonies (2-8 Aug), Damnation (9-15 Aug), The Turin Horse (17 & 21 Aug) and his seven-hour epic Sátántangó (24 Aug) – a must-see on the big screen. 

Elsewhere, GFT pays tribute to two icons of 70s American cinema who died in July. Donald Sutherland is honoured with screenings of Ordinary People (6 Aug), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (8 Aug) and Don't Look Now (13 Aug). And the incomparable Shelley Duvall is remembered with the wonderful 3 Women (26 Aug).

Cameo is busy playing host to Edinburgh Film Festival in August, but there's much more going on at this ace cinema. For one, they have a very fun 80s season happening at the minute. As well as bombastic films of Reagan-era excess like Predator (3 Aug) and Top Gun (10 Aug), there are also a few examples of the genre that hit its zenith in the 1980s: the mid-budget romantic comedy. Three of these gems screen as part of the season: Moonstruck (7 Aug), Broadcast News (28 Aug) and Desperately Seeking Susan (2 Sep).

And to top all that off, Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro gets a wide rerelease from 2 August. If there’s a better movie in Scottish cinemas this month, then I’m a flying cat bus.