Short Circuit launches new Film Club for short filmmakers

Short Circuit Film Club is a new monthly film event for short filmmakers which will be hosted on the brand new Glasgow Film At Home digital platform. Short Circuit aims to become a key hub for emerging film talent in Scotland, supporting writers, directors and producers to develop creatively and professionally. Short Circuit Film Club will allow Scotland’s film talent to engage with the work of other filmmakers from around the world. The first programme will be available from Monday 30 November for 72 hours, with an online discussion at 4pm on Wednesday 2 December.

Each month will see a specially curated screening of short films – local, national and international - chosen to inspire and connect our Scottish filmmaking community. Screenings will be accompanied by an industry event which will allow participants to network, discuss the films and filmmaking together, and to learn more about each monthly film programme.

The first screenings will be a curated programme from Africa in Motion. The shorts will include: Never Look at the Sun, directed by Baloji, which explores the debate around skin lightening; Prison and Jailer from director Muhannad Lamin uncovers the circumstances around The Abu Salim Prison Massacre in Libya; and diary film This Day Won’t Last directed by Mouaad El Salem which reflects on what it means to be young and queer in Tunisia.

On Wednesday 2 December at 4pm there will be a Zoom industry event around the theme of freedoms, which ties the film programme together. This will allow filmmakers from all around Scotland to connect with each other and discuss their work and the screenings while safely at home.

Upcoming editions of Short Circuit Film Club will feature films from New Zealand, Colombia, Ireland and Latvia. The next edition will come on December 21, celebrating the shortest day of the year through short films.

Short Circuit is a new film talent initiative for Scotland delivered by Film City Futures in partnership with Glasgow Film, and supported by Screen Scotland and BFI NETWORK (using funds from the National Lottery which raises £30 million every week for good causes).

For more information on the film club and other Short Circuit events please visit our website: https://shortcircuit.scot

Allison Gardner, Glasgow Film CEO and Co-Director of GFF, said: “Short Circuit Film Club will be a fantastic way to bring Scottish filmmakers together to discuss and learn from a diverse range of films from around the world. We’re delighted with this first programme from Africa in Motion and are looking forward to continuing the film club into 2021 with more incredible films and opportunities to network. Glasgow Film At Home allows us to bring people together safely from their homes.”

Mar Vila Barcelo, Short Circuit Talent Executive, said: “Short Circuit Film Club is an exciting opportunity for the Scottish filmmaking community to share, exchange and connect with film talent around the world. As cinema has revealed itself as a lifeline in difficult times, this monthly event will allow filmmakers to stay connected with their peers and expand their horizons by bringing worldwide films inside to the comfort of their homes.”

Short Circuit's background

Short Circuit is an ambitious new film talent initiative for Scotland delivered by Film City Futures in partnership with Glasgow Film, and funded by Screen Scotland and BFI NETWORK, running initially until the end of March 2022. Up to 9 short films will be produced and 5 feature length scripts will be developed through the programme each year.

The partnership between Film City Futures and Glasgow Film brings together two world-class film institutions based in Scotland, combining the filmmaking expertise at Film City with Glasgow Film’s leadership in film exhibition with a strong following from young, diverse audiences. Short Circuit aims to become a key hub for emerging fiction filmmaking talent in Scotland, supporting writers, directors and producers to develop creatively and professionally, and stimulating the creative and commercial success of Scotland’s film sector. http://shortcircuit.scot/

Glasgow Film is an educational charity which runs Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT), Scotland’s original independent arthouse cinema and the home of film in Glasgow; Glasgow Film Festival (GFF), one of the UK’s leading public celebrations of cinema; and Glasgow Youth Film Festival (GYFF), a fast-growing international three-day festival co-curated by teenage film-lovers in the city. Glasgow Film is also the lead organisation for Film Hub Scotland, a membership organisation that supports more than 200 exhibitors across the country.

As one of the UK’s leading independent cinemas, GFT plays an important part in the cultural life of Glasgow, screening a wide variety of international cinema, classic films and documentaries, alongside locally made work and material aimed at a range of community groups. GFT also has a strong education programme of outreach, courses and school screenings.

GFT was awarded Accessibility Champion at the SCoD Star Awards 2016 and became the first UK cinema to scoop the Autism Friendly Award 2017. GFF was named Outstanding Festival of the Year at The Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2019. Glasgow Film Theatre is a charity registered in Scotland. No. SC005932. www.glasgowfilm.org / https://athome.glasgowfilm.org

Film City Futures’ mission is to connect people, space and opportunity, enabling access and entry to the screen industries for all. We offer industry focused programmes that are creative, challenging, and most importantly meet the needs of the screen sector in Scotland, from the engagement of new and emerging talent, to personal and business development. Projects to date include Jump Cut, a talent development initiative for 16-25 year olds; Frontrunners, an Executive Coaching programme for business leaders from television, film and related media businesses; and FOCUS, a business development initiative for screen businesses in Scotland.

Film City Futures is a not for profit organisation based at Film City Glasgow, a screen production facility which houses over 25 companies from across the Scottish production and post-production sector, which was co-founded by one of Scotland’s most successful film production companies, Sigma Films.

Film City Futures is the trading name of Jump Cut Crew, a registered Scottish charity with charity number SC031842. https://www.filmcityfutures.com/about-us

Screen Scotland is the dedicated partnership for screen in Scotland. With funding from Scottish Government and the National Lottery, Screen Scotland is driving the cultural, social and economic development of all aspects of the sector in Scotland, through enhanced funding, services and support. Screen Scotland sits within Creative Scotland and is a partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, working in close collaboration with the sector to ensure its success. Find out more about us.

Made possible through National Lottery funding, BFI NETWORK exists to discover and support talented writers, directors and producers at the start of their careers. We collaborate with film organisations and leading cultural venues across the UK to provide funding for short films, support for the development of first features, as well as a range of professional and creative development programmes. Find out more and watch supported work: www.bfi.org.uk/network

Thanks to National Lottery players, up to £600 million of funding has been made available to support communities across the UK during the Coronavirus crisis. The National Lottery is playing a critical role in supporting people, projects and communities during these challenging times. By playing The National Lottery, you are making an amazing contribution to the nationwide-response to combatting the impact of COVID-19 on local communities across the UK.