What's On Scotland 23-30 May: Falastin Film Festival & more

Grassroots festival Falastin Film Festival is throwing its inaugural edition this month – having toured the likes of Oban and Mull, they're now heading to the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh this weekend (24-26 May) for a weekend-long edition.

Catch the likes of Cherien Dabis's Amreeka, about a family from the West Bank settling in Illinois, Mai Masri’s 3000 Nights, about a young Palestinian woman giving birth in an Israeli prison, and Jumana Manna’s stunning eco documentary Foragers (pictured) in the programme. There's also incredible events, from a Palestinian supper club to the first UK exhibition by Gazan artist Malak Mattar, entitled Screams, at Embassy Gallery. You can browse the programme and find tickets for films here.

World of Twist presents Moving Still
The Rum Shack, Glasgow. 25 May, 9pm
World of Twist welcomes an exciting guest this month: Saudi-born, Ireland-based DJ Moving Still, with support on the night from local Southside residents Jamo Kidd and How Bizarre. Expect a real cultural fusion here, with old SWANA gems transformed into high-energy edits. Image: Courtesy of World of Twist.

Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970–1990
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, 25 May-26 Jan 2025
Fresh off a stint at Tate Britain, this seminal exhibition comes up north, with myriad works across painting, sculpture, and installation illuminating the complex political and social change around the likes of Section 28, the AIDS crisis and the Women’s Liberation Movement. Image: Gina Birch.

The Ground Is Not Unchanging
Offline, Glasgow. 24 May, 7pm
Ahead of her exhibition Farang at Glasgow International, artist Mina Heydari-Waite is programming a series of short films that explore alternative archival practices and decolonial methodologies, followed by an in-conversation with one of the directors. Image: Hannan Jones.

DJ Haram
The Flying Duck, Glasgow. 28 May, 7:30pm
Known for her stylistically eclectic sound spanning from bass and club to electronica and folk infused Middle Eastern production, New Jersey rap and electronic producer DJ Haram is heading to Glasgow – catch her with support from naafi on the night. Image: Ebru Yildiz.

↪ Bad Bad Hats
Broadcast, Glasgow. 29 May, 7pm
For music that sounds exactly like a sun-bleached adolescent summer, there’s no better band to turn to than Minnesota twosome Bad Bad Hats, whose peppy indie-pop sound sits perfectly alongside at times bittersweet, at times gushingly optimistic lyrics. Image: Zoe Prinds-Flash.

→ King's Art Degree Show Afterparty
King's, Dundee. 24 May, 10pm
Help celebrate the next generation of artists at Art Degree Show Afterparty, held at King's and with a killer lineup. Headlining is Zimbabwe-born, Glasgow-based ButhoTheWarrior (from Jaiva and Sub Club), with support from Dee Boogs and Ronan Baxter.

→ Burd Ellen
Summerhall, Edinburgh. 29 May, 7:30pm
Bringing together folk musicians Debbie Armour and Gayle Brogan, Burd Ellen is a new musical project using traditional song to explore and evoke dark landscapes and deep stories.