A new film festival – specialising in folk horror and featuring outdoor screenings of creepy classics – will come to Leith in April.
Fiends in the Furrows, which will run from 23-26 April, is a collaboration between film events and networking organisation Cinetopia and Leith Kino – a popular weekly film club.
Events include an open-air showing of the 1973 Scottish folk horror classic The Wicker Man in Dock Place and a gala presentation of Ken Russell’s 1988 gothic farce The Lair of the White Worm at Leith Dockers Club.
Fiends in the Furrows will feature fourteen film screenings across four days, at venues including South Leith Parish Church Halls and Leith Depot – home of Leith Kino. The closing open air screening will be Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada – a brand-new sci fi drama set in Cornwall. Enys Men, another work by Jenkin will also be shown on Sunday.
Learn more about the full programe on the Fiends in the Furrows website.
Amanda Rogers of Cinetopia said: “Folk Horror is a great genre. It is rooted in the British folk tradition and The Wicker Man, which is set in Scotland, has such a cult following. Open air screenings have such a special atmosphere and I have always wanted to stage an outdoor showing of The Wicker Man.”
Katharine Simpson from Screen Scotland said: “Fiends in the Furrows is an innovative new film festival, bringing together a team with a variety of expertise, to produce an event with an exciting programme and commitment to accessibility. Horror film has strong audience appeal and Fiends in the Furrows offers a fresh take on the genre. The festival offers a new experience to audiences in Scotland, and we look forward to exploring the full programme when it’s announced.”
Cinetopia specialises in pop-up and outdoor film events and has previously staged a 25th anniversary showing of Trainspotting in Leith and a 4Oth anniversary showing of Local Hero in Aberdeenshire. Other Leith based events created by Cinetopia include Cinema on the Shore at Custom House and Redrawing Edinburgh, which featured archive film and photographs.
Fiends in the Furrows is supported by Screen Scotland.
Festival organisers are planning to invite film makers and special guests and will be working with local businesses to supply food, drink and folk horror-related merchandise, including a collaboration with local Leith independent bookshop Argonaut Books.
All venues are accessible and films will be subtitled in English to assist D/deaf and hard of hearing film audiences. Tickets will be on a sliding scale from £6 - £10, with a limited number of full festival passes available.
More information
Image credits: Still from Rose of Nevada courtesy of Fiends in the Furrows Film Festival