Scottish Film Events: May 2026

Who says scary movies are just for the spooky season? The always excellent Dundead (7-10 May), the annual horror fest from Dundee Contemporary Arts, returns for its 14th edition, and this year they’ve teamed up with the dynamite feminist film collective Invisible Women. On the docket is a weekend of new horror films like Avalon Fast’s Camp (7 May), which has been described as a witchy, dreamy odyssey about feminine power and redemption; Katherine Dundas’s Theater Is Dead (8 May), a deliriously camp horror-comedy about attempting a career in the arts; and Yanis Koussim’s Roqia (9 May), a supernatural horror set during the Algerian Civil War of the 90s.

But what we’re most excited for is Invisible Women’s contribution to Dundead: She’s a Maneater!, a retrospective all about women whose carnal pleasures include cannibalism. The programme features Julia Ducournau’s visceral coming-of-age horror Raw (7 May), Fruit Chan’s Dumplings (9 May), in which an older actress finds a novel way to stay youthful, and Claire Denis’ dazzling Trouble Every Day (10 May), in which a mysterious virus makes people both horny and hungry.

As has now become tradition, Glasgow Film Theatre celebrates its birthday every May with the GFT Birthday Programme, the bulk of which features classics that should be seen on the big screen at least once. Top of our must-see list is a double-bill of two of Steven Spielberg’s most soulful works, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (23 May). We’ll also be taking the very rare opportunity to see Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night (17 May) screened big alongside his new stunner Resurrection (10 & 12 May). And the range of the late, great Diane Keaton’s talents is celebrated with Annie Hall (6-7 May), The First Wives Club (27-28 May) and The Godfather (31 May). The lineup also includes a trio of screenings from celluloid: John Ford’s The Searchers (until 7 May, 70mm), Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (16 May, 70mm), and Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient (17 May, 35mm).

Talking of celluloid, few filmmakers are more devoted to the beauty and fragility of film stock than Mark Jenkin. Filmhouse in Edinburgh are celebrating this fact with Mark Jenkin on 35mm, a season of the Cornish filmmaker’s work exhibited on 35mm. Time-loop drama Rose of Nevada screens on 9 May, his debut Bait is on 16 May, and his folk-horror-tinged middle film Enys Men screens 17 May.

Doc'n'Roll Film Festival, the much-loved touring fest celebrating music subcultures, returns to Scottish cinemas. The Cameo in Edinburgh has one screening: How Tanita Tikaram Became A LIAR, Natacha Horn’s doc exploring the creative and emotional journey of the eponymous British singer-songwriter. GFT, meanwhile, hosts four, a highlight of which looks to be Big Mama Thornton: I Can't Be Anyone But Me, Robert Clem’s spotlight on Blues icon Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton. Full details at docnrollfestival.com.