Shetland’s annual film festival, ScreenPlay runs from 29th August until 7th September and is curated by film critics Linda Ruth Williams and Mark Kermode and the Festival Director, Kathy Hubbard. My head is spinning and my diary is packed as this year’s festival is made up of 95 events including: 20 feature films, 6 documentaries, 3 workshops, 1 lecture, 11 Q&As, 2 film quizzes, 6 education screenings, 2 outreach events, 1 gig, 1 wild party, loads of local films, and short films galore! Phew - I'm going to get through a lot of popcorn!!
This year's guests include Brian Cox and Steven Robertson (originally from Vidlin in Shetland) who both recently starred in the television drama Shetland. They're both taking part in Q&A sessions and there's a chance that you'll get to bump into them in Mareel's cafe bar - it's that type of festival, very informal and easy going.
Screenplay gives you the opportunity to see what local film makers have been up to - there's the ever popular Home Made section; you can catch Ebb Tide, a collection of 6 films inspired by artefacts or stories brought back to Shetland from Commonwealth countries. It’s the first time Ebb Tide has been shown outside Glasgow, where it was screened on board The Tall Ship as part of the Cultural Festival surrounding the Commonwealth Games. You can see local dialect film Dis Quiet by Bruce Eunson, a mock horror, Trou by JJ Jamieson and a selection of shorts in the Home Made day.
I met up with the festival's director Kathy Hubbard to find out all about it.