Monday 2 December 2013

Cityscapes & Heartbreaks


With December finally upon us, we hope you're all starting to feel festive here in the Southside. We're sure there's plenty a Christmassy movie nights up your sleeve in the coming weeks but we'd like to kick-start all of that for you with our December Film Club screening of In Bruges - Tues 3rd Dec at The Glad Cafe (8pm - doors 7:30pm - Tickets £6/5 conc,)

Hit men Ray & Ken have very different takes on the beautifully preserved Flemish city, but as the two swan around sampling the biers & battling the locals one thing becomes clear - where Brendan Gleeson is super likeable & Colin Farrell pretty as can be, its the city of Bruges itself that's the real star of the show!

That got me thinking, what other films are there where the location becomes a character in itself? Films that couldn't (or at least shouldn't) ever be set anywhere else in the world? Films that when you watch, you end up with a serious case of the wanderlust & find yourself booking mini break before the end credits roll.......

Here's my top picks

Lost In Translation

I love Scarlett. I LOVE Bill. I love My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus & Mary Chain & I love the whole Coppola clan. But the thing I love most about Lost In Translation? Tokyo! The dazzling cityscapes framed through Charlotte's lonely hotel room window, that sense of awe & wonder you get from Bob's taxi journey, the Karaoke scenes. For all the chemistry & quick witted banter - Tokyo is the main character here and never has a film made me want to travel to city more than this one. 

Dont Look Now

OK, so Donald Sutherland & Julie Christie grieving the tragic death of their little daughter on the canals of Venice doesn't particularly intrigue me towards the city. Gone are the romantic notions of gondolas in the moonlight, replaced with chilling paranoia, alienation, grief & guilt......and a wee bit of the occult. The imagery created by the water of the weaving canals is so intense, its impossible to imagine the emotional trauma of this film translating to any other setting. Oh, that water.....I've got the chills!

Mulholland Drive

A Lynchian nightmare of epic proportions, and another on the list that doesn't particularly endear me towards the city in question but all out encapsulates the seedy essence of  L.A. The grotesque underbelly of the City of Angels on full display in a fragmented, hallucinatory & nightmarish illusion of a film - "a mournful love poem to all those who have been chewed up & spit out by the Hollywood machine" - Keith Ulhich/Time Out

Manhattan

"He adored New York City. He idolised it all out of proportion
No, make that he romantiscied it all out of proportion.
To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black & white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin" - Woody Allen, Manhattan

Woody Allen, the quintessential New Yorker - you could really pick any of his earlier films here to showcase the Big Apple in all its glory, but its Manhattan that truly is his all out love letter to his home town. Enough said!

What would be your picks here? Amelie's quirky Paris? Scorcese's hard hitting Boston in The Departed, Love Actually's Christmas-time in London? Let us know in the comments below.


Speaking of wonderful cities, all of us at The Southside Film Festival would like to express our heartfelt sympathies to the families & friends of those who tragically lost their lives in Glasgow this weekend at The Clutha Vaults Pub. There have been so many wonderful displays of kindness & compassion by the Glasgow people over the last few days, which just goes to show what an amazing city we really have.  

To express our condolences, we would like to advise that we will be donating all box office profits from our screening of In Bruges to an appropriate fund for the families of the bereaved and the pub rebuilding fund once announced. We'll also have donation tins there if people want to donate and will let you know where it all goes. xxx 





Tuesday 29 October 2013

A Scottish Wrestling Fan’s Journey to the Candelabra


On November 5th, the SouthSide Film Festival are showing this year’s hit movie, Behind The Candelabra focusing on the fascinating true story of outrageous pianist/entertainer Liberace and his lover Scott Thorson. 

You may have read the title and wondered what exactly my journey was to this movie. Well, I’m a huge fan of American wrestling. You know Hulk Hogan and The Rock type of stuff. Anyway, when I was younger I got a videotape of the first ever ‘WrestleMania’ event from 1985. The main event was packed with stars like Hulk Hogan, Muhammad Ali as a referee but the one man, that I never forgot was the guest time keeper for the evening, Liberace. He danced around the wrestling ring in an outrageous outfit with The Rockettes. That image remained with me for over 20 years.



A couple of years ago, I remember reading an article in the Metro newspaper about a new movie on the life of Liberace. I immediately pictured the dancing pianist from back in 1990 on VHS. Fast forward to 2013, add in an outstanding performance from Michael Douglas as ‘Lee’ and a mesmerizing performance by Matt Damon as his lover, Scott and you have Behind The Candelabra. This movie is can’t miss. From the camp, catchy showtunes to the moments of real emotion and harsh truths of celebrity, you won’t be disappointed.



The film will be shown at The Glad Cafe at 8pm as part of our Autumn Film Club. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets are £6 (£5 for concessions) and are available directly at the Glad Cafe or online from Tickets Scotland (booking fee applies)

Monday 28 October 2013

marxism today (prologue)

In other Southside film related news, the Southside Film Festival is pleased to share a screening that The Common Guild is organising next month at Langside Hall on the 15th November.

In the lead up to Phil Collins' major new project for Queen's Park and Glasgow 2014, The Common Guild and Film and Video Umbrella present a special screening of 'marxism today (prologue)' (2010) followed by a talk with the artist.
Phil Collins - marxism today (prologue)
 Friday 15 November, 7pm
Langside Hall, 5 Langside Avenue Glasgow G41 2QR
Tickets: £2.50 
The film is a poignant reminder of the extent to which the fault-lines and power struggles of history impact on individual lives. It was premiered at the Berlin Biennale in 2010, and later broadcast on national television in Germany, where its portrayal of teachers of Marxism-Leninism in the former GDR had particular resonance.

Presented in collaboration with Film and Video Umbrella, as part of '25 Frames', a programme of screenings and events marking the organisation's 25th anniversary, in which stand-out pieces from the organisation's past are re-staged and re-evaluated for the present.

This special event finds a richly appropriate setting in Langside Hall, on the edge of Queen's Park, an emblem of the city's distinctive social, cultural and architectural heritage. Phil Collins will be in conversation with Film and Video Umbrella Director, Steven Bode, after the screening. 'marxism today (prologue)' was co-commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella, Cornerhouse, Abandon Normal Devices, Berliner Künstlerprogramm/DAAD, and Berlin Biennale, and produced by Shady Lane Productions. Places are limited.

Please book via Eventbrite: marxismtoday.eventbrite.co.uk

Wednesday 9 October 2013

The mighty Wurlitzer cinema organ returns! With Vampyr...


Join us on Sunday 27th October for a unique Halloween themed film screening of Carl Th. Dreyer's Vampyr with live Wurlitzer Cinema Organ accompaniment as part of our Autumn Film Club in partnership with Pollokshaws Burgh Hall and the Scottish Cinema Organ Trust.

Pollokshaws Burgh Hall (2025 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G43 1NE) is home to the mighty Wurlitzer Cinema Organ, Scotland’s only cinema organ. The Scottish Cinema Organ Trust (SCOT) dedicate 2 days a week to restoring and maintaining this musical instrument now well into its 8th decade! 

Vampyr is a 1932 French-German horror film, one of the first psychological horror films. It ranks in many circles as one of the greatest horror films of all time (appearing in the top 10 of the Guardian’s list of ‘best horror films of all time’ in 2010). The story centres around Allan Grey, a student of the occult who enters the village of Courtempierre, which is under the curse of a vampire.


Grey arrives in a remote castle and starts seeing weird, inexplicable sights (a man whose shadow has a life of its own, a mysterious scythe-bearing figure tolling a bell, a terrifying dream of his own burial). Things come to a head when one of the daughters of the lord of the castle succumbs to anaemia - or is it something more sinister?

The film will start at 8pm, doors at 7:30pm. Tickets are £6 (£5 for concessions) and are available online from Tickets Scotland soon (booking fee applies) or on the door from Pollokshaws Burgh Hall.
Vampyr
Cert PG, 1932 (75 mins)
Pollokshaws Burgh Hall
Sunday 27 October, 8pm

Tuesday 1 October 2013

FILM CLUB PRESENTS: Let the Right One In

The nights are fair drawin’ in here in Glasgow so if you’re feeling stuck for some Autumnal midweek activities in the Southside, look no further as we’re back for first in our October edition of the film club with Swedish romantic horror Let the Right One In.

The Vampire genre appears to be enjoying somewhat of cultural rebirth of late – so much so that it can be difficult to pull a diamond from the rough – but we think we’ve done just that with Tomas Alfredson’s 2009 adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist's best selling novel.

Twelve year old Oskar is an outsider – viciously bullied at school in the day and left to fend for himself in the evening while his single mother works nights - the muted wintery backdrop of a small suburb of Stockholm only intensifies Oksar heartbreaking loneliness & isolation.  

It’s during one of these bleak lonely nights that Oskar meets Eli. He has no friends, she has no friends and in their despair, the two misfits forge a beautifully tender bond.

But is Eli all that she seems…..or more?

Marrying the often only ‘too real’ realism of Swedish cinema with a new twist on the grotesquely fantastical nature of the vampire genre, Let the Right One In is a magnetically atmospheric tale of loneliness & desperation, but most of all, a complexly delicate love story – the context may be grim but the sentiment is one that will ring true to us all….

What would you look past or sacrifice for the sake of love & companionship?


Tues 8th Oct - 8pm (doors 7:30)
Tickets - £6/5 conc. - available online at Ticket Scotland or in person at The Glad Cafe.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Film Club tickets update

A quick update on the ticketing arrangements for Film Club.The very kind folks at Glad Cafe sell our tickets for us in advance of the screenings. However, to help keep things simple we've decided that tickets for each month's screenings will only be available to buy in person from the Glad Cafe the month before each screening. So, dates for ticket sales are as follows:
Tickets are also available on the door from Southside Film Festival volunteers the night of each screening from an hour beforehand (so 7pm or 3pm for Pirates!) and online now from Tickets Scotland (booking fee applies).

We hope that all makes sense! We'll be sure to remind you all via twitter and facebook when the tickets for each screening are available.

Friday 30 August 2013

Film Club flyers

Our flyers for Autumn Film Club at The Glad Cafe have arrived and our team of dedicated volunteers will be distributing them across the Southside this weekend. Just in time for our first screening - Heathers on Tuesday 3rd September.


The eagle eyed amongst might have spotted that there's now a 6th screening included on the flyer. This is Robot & Frank which we are screening on Tuesday 15 October in partnership with the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. This is an exciting additional screening to our other Autumn Film Club ones in partnership with The Glad Cafe and there are more details here.

If you see any of our flyers whilst you're out & about or think there is somewhere good we should be putting them then get in touch via twitter or facebook or by email and use the hashtag #southsidefilm.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Film Club Presents: 'HEATHERS' - "Are We Going To Prom, Or To Hell?"



After a wee summer break (and what a glorious summer its been here in Glasgow), we're back to ease you into the darker nights with a whole host of awesome for this season's FILM CLUB - and to kick it all off - what would be better than a slice of 80's cult cinema with high school satire Heathers.

Massive shoulder pads, poisonous cliques, teen-suicide & murder.....this is the high school movie that took a croquet mallet to the rules & redefined the genre once and for all - not a Molly Ringwald in sight!

"WHATS YOUR DAMAGE, HEATHER?"

The politics of high school have never been so cruel as when doled out by one the Heathers, a vicious clique of girls (all called Heather) intent on dishing out their own brand of intimidation to the less fortunate. These are the original Mean Girls - and boy, are they mean! That is until fellow clique member Veronica (Winona Ryder) falls for rebel newcomer J.D (Christian Slater) & together they forge a plan to end the Heathers reign of terror once & for all.

Dark, satirical & delectably self aware - Heathers is a masterclass in teen-cyncism. More than 20 years after its release - the themes are just as subversive & the diaglogue just as razor-sharp. 

If that's not enough, its also got Christian Slater being all kinds of amazing doing his best Jack Nicholson impression in a show stealing performance as J.D - the seductive Clyde to Veronica's delightfully dead-pan Bonnie.

Smart, funny & grotesquely nasty - Heathers is the definition of black comedy. If for some unknown reason this cult classic of sorts as passed you by or even if you've seen it a million times before but just want to indulge in some 80's nostalgia  - get yourself down to The Glad Cafe on 3rd Sept 2013, cause y'know "The extreme always seems to make an impression" - and we're sure Heathers will.


Tues 3rd Sept - 8pm (doors 7:30)
Tickets - £6/5 conc. - available online at Ticket Scotland or at The Glad Cafe.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Film Club returns


We're delighted to announce that film club is back for Autumn 2013! 

Here's the line up for our 5 core Film Club screenings at the Glad Cafe and we have a couple of other screenings planned, details of those will be announced soon.

In September, on Tuesday 3rd we'll be screening Heathers - the 80's cult classic black comedy about high school cliques.

In October, on Tuesday 8th we'll be showing Swedish horror film Let the Right One In/Låt den Rätte Komma In.

For November, there's a chance to catch the brilliant performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in Behind the Candelabra on Tuesday 5th.

In December, there'll be two screenings one on Tuesday 3rd In Bruges and on Sunday 15th something for the kids with The Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists!

Tickets will be on sale soon - keep an eye out for details. Once they are available you can buy them online from Ticket Scotland and in person at the Glad Cafe and on the door.

The Southside Film Festival in partnership with The Glad Cafe has run a successful film club since October 2012. Our monthly films are screened in the great space at The Glad Cafe on a Tuesday evening at 8pm, with one kids matinee screening per season at 4pm. 




Thursday 15 August 2013

Festival photographs

We've added lots of images from the festival to our Flickr pages here and there's a sample of what you can expect to see below. We were very fortunate again this year to have photographers volunteer their time and skills to help us document the festival and you'll see some of these images appear in our review which we're working on just now.

First up are photographs from Ashleigh H Thomson, a creative photographer and image editor based in Glasgow. You can see more of her work here.
Images by Ashleigh H Thomson
Then we have photographs taken by Shane McGill, one of our core volunteers who's been involved from the beginning and sorts out our media and PR stuff in the run up to the festival.
Images by Shane McGill
And finally, those who can't, instagram instead! Selcuk Colakoglu set up and manned our instagram account over the festival and did a sterling job of it.
Images from our instagram


Friday 24 May 2013

Superhero Animation Films online

On Saturday 18th May as part of the Southside Film Festival, Red Kite Animation held a workshop at the Scout Hall.

They have put the great animations made up on their website here or you can view them on Vimeo.

 
Southside Film Fest - Saturday 18th May from Red Kite Animation Workshops on Vimeo.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

Southside Filmmakers Award 2013 Winner

You will probably have already seen that the winner of the Southside Filmmakers Award 2013 was announced on Sunday at the Glad Cafe and via twitter and facebook.

The winner was Bird in the Hand from Cup of Gold Productions. A Bird in the Hand is a joint Scottish/Irish production which brings us the kooky story of love and friendship about a young man, Alan, who is not your average man. Alan is blessed with an unusual appearance and walk and learns to confront his demons, accept himself and find true love along the way in the form of Grace.

Congratulations to the all involved in the film:
  • Director and Producer: David Brown
  • Screenwriter: Andrew Anderson
  • Director of Photography: Padraig Conaty
  • Editor: Mark Sheridan
  • Sound: Barry Connolly
  • Music: Rian Trench 
  • Main actor: Finbarr Delaney
Thank you to all the filmmakers who submitted work this year - the standard was very high and it is great to see such variety and quality work coming out of the Southside. We recommend you check out the other films selected which were:

  • Harriett's Kitchen - Drama, Director: Ally Lockhart
  • Oh Jackie - Music video, Director: Uisdeann Murray 
  • Pouters - Documentary, Director: Paul Fegan 
  • Red - Drama, Director: Simone Smith
  • The State of Greenock - Mockumentary, Directors: Gavin Grant, David Newman, Pamela Barnes 
  • Sunny Out - Documentary, Director: Julie Scade 
  • Vore - Drama, Director: Bryan M Ferguson

Thursday 16 May 2013

Only 24 hours to go!





With less than 24 hours until the festival kicks off, I'm pretty excited about taking part in my first Southside Film Festival! I just came from The Glad Cafe where people are absolutely buzzing the night before it all gets underway. So while quizzers are trying to determine Who played the voice of Jessica Rabbit, I thought I'd essentially steal an idea from the good folk at Top Ten Glasgow Guide and run down some of the things I'm looking forward to over the weekend!

- I love the movie Gosford Park. It's fantastic. But somehow watching it in a swanky shiny Cineworld or shoving the DVD in my sturdy £9.99 Argos Basic DVD Player (Hey, i could either eat for the month or get a blu-ray player, don't judge) just doesn't fit. Now watching it in the picturesque victorian Pollok Park, and being served a two course meal fit for a king afterwards? That sounds right up my street!

- Up until last year, all I knew about Bollywood was the fact Shilpa Shetty from Big Brother used to do some films, until my friend sat me down and made me watch 3 Idiots with Aamir Khan and loved it! So the thought of, this weekend, getting to check out Kuch Kuch Hota Hoi, with some footage shot in the Southside is gonna be a real treat!

- Festivals tend to bring out a great sense of community from people, so I'm looking forward to chatting to new fellow film lovers whether if be over a beer after a film or at a screening before the film starts.

- I'm always a sucker for a good music documentary so I'm excited to see the doc on LCD Sound System from their last gig.

Anyway, What are you looking forward to? What are you going to see? Let us know in the comments! We'll be blogging throughout the festival letting you know what's happening. Enjoy!

Top 10 Guide

The lovely people at Top Ten Glasgow Guide have put together the list below of the top 10 things to do and see at the Southside Film Festival. You can follow them on twitter @toptenglasgow or facebook for more great Glasgow recommendations.

1. Learn more about acclaimed photo journalist McCullin in Queen's Park Camera Club.

2. Catch Sightseers, a black comedy about murder and caravanning in the 46th Glasgow Scout Group Hall.

3. Watch short films in the swimming pool at Govanhill Baths; or watch a music doc about the last gig by LCD Soundsystem - Shut Up and Play the Hits - at music venue The Glad Cafe on Saturday night and follow that by dancing at iBop at Pollok Ex Servicemens' Club.

4. Have a drink in the library overlooking Pollok Park and move into the dining room to watch Gosford Park, and follow that up with dinner in the Servant's Quarters in Pollok House on Sunday afternoon.

5. Watch one of the best silent films ever made, Battleship Potemkin, with live accompaniment from the Wurtlizer Cinema Organ at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall on Sun.

6. Get some Bollywood in your life with a Kuch Kuch Hota Hoi, a film partly shot in the Southside. 

7. See the Southside filmmakers of the future on Saturday at the Southside Filmmaker Award screening.

8. Forget Iron Man 3, take the kids to see the kids' classic favourite Iron Giant on Sat afternoon at The Glad Cafe (and your kids can learn how to make Superhero Animation at an animation workshop that morning).  

9. If you want to learn more about the history of cinemas and cinema going on the Southside of Glasgow then don't miss out Cinema Walk at 2pm on Sunday afternoon - sign up in advance and receive the meeting point.

10. Lots more free screenings and events at the Burrell Collection, Scotland St Museum, Hidden Gardens and Kinning Park Complex, so check full information and tickets on the SFF website.

Monday 13 May 2013

Glasgow I Love You, But You're Freakin' Me Out!


With only a couple of days to go til the festival kicks off, I hope you've all had the chance to check out this year's programme and are excited as we are about everything that we've got going on over the coming weekend.

One I am personally extremely psyched about is our screening of 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' - a documentary film charting the last 48 hours of generation defining band LCD Soundsystem. 

Frontman James Murphy made the unusual decision to bring an end to the party right at the peak of the band's popularity -  they played their last ever gig to a sold out Madison Square Garden in NYC in April 2011, ensuring they would go out with a bang!

Party kids across the world wept as the cowbells stopped and LCD were no more, Daft Punk were no longer playing at your house, All Your Friends were away up the road.......'Shut Up and Play the Hits' tells the story of the end of an era for music fans & for Murphy himself:

"Likeable, deadpan and refreshingly self-aware, the inner turmoil and obvious regret of the ageing hipster makes this not only a sad farewell to a great band, but to life as Murphy knows it." - Total Film, 2012.

So, this coming Saturday - all you Southside music & film buffs (and we know there are LOADS of you) can all get a wee bit nostalgic for our fading youth with our screening of the film at The Glad Cafe (8pm - doors 7.30pm - tickets £6/5). The film seemed to have a pretty limited release when it was out last year so if - like me-  you missed it - take this second chance to see it on the big screen!

If you want to make a night of it (Go on...!) - don't forget that iBop - the Southside's longest running indie night -  will be hosting a wee after party for you all to get your dance on  - keep a hold of your ticket stub for discounted entry. Hope to see you all throwing some shapes on the dancefloor - don't forget your cowbells!


- 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' - Sat 18 May - The Glad Cafe - 8pm (doors 7.30pm) - £6/5 - tickets on sale now at The Glad Cafe or online at http://www.tickets-scotland.com/

Followed by:

- iBop - Sat 18 May - Pollock Ex Servicemans Club - £5 on the door or £4 with your 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' ticket stub.

Don't forget to follow us & tag us in photos of your night on Instagram - @SouthsideFilmFestival and let us know what you think of the film on Twitter - #southsidefilm

Press coverage so far


The Southside Film Festival kicks off this Thursday with the film quiz and then a series of film screenings and events over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We've already had some great press coverage and publicity, we'll be updating our website with these details here. Check out the articles below that mention the Southside Film Festival. Including the very kind and supportive motion in the Scottish Parliament by Patrick Harvie
If you'd like to help us spread the word then please send on the flyers and programme links below to interested people.
And check out our promotional films on YouTube for the following venues:
Stay South! @southfilmfest

Gosford Park




Pollok House is Scotland's answer to Downtown Abbey! This glorious, grand country house in the Southside of Glasgow is excited to hold it's first ever event with the Southside Film Festival on Sunday 19th May where Robert Altman's classic film Gosford Park will be screened to festival goers. There was only one location that fit the bill to show this 1930's period film and it was Pollok House.

If you're thinking of attending the event on Sunday, you're in for a treat (in slightly grander surroundings than the servants in the 1920s who were also shown films as a treat). Not only will Gosford Park be screened in the dining room, but beforehand you'll also get to have drinks in the house's impressive library - where a paid bar will be in operation. After the screening, it's downstairs to be served a delicious two course meal.

The film itself is a triumph for Robert Altman. The Academy Award nominated film has a stacked ensemble cast from Helen Mirren to Clive Owen. Downtown Abbey originally was set to be a spin off of Gosford Park before it changed to using the film as an inspiration for the hit series. This mystery film is a must see and there is no better surroundings than Pollok House.

Sun 19th May, doors 5.30pm, Film 6:15pm, 
dinner served 8:30pm
Pollok House
Price: £25 for meal and movie (please note tickets only available in advance)
Cert 15, 137 mins, 2001

Set in the 1930's the story takes place in an old fashioned English country house where a family has invited many of their friends up for a weekend shooting party. The story centers around the McCordle family, in particular the man of the house, William McCordle. Getting on in years William has become benefactor to many of his relatives and friends. As the weekend goes on and secrets are revealed, it seems everyone, above stairs and below, wants a piece of William and his money, but how far will they go to get it?





Don't miss this incredibly rare opportunity to watch a great piece of period cinema in an old fashioned setting that is sure to enhance your experience. Whether you love playing Cluedo or you're obsessed with catching period shows on TV, Altman's timeless classic will not disappoint!

Sunday 12 May 2013

Battleship Potemkin

One of the highlights of the past two festivals have been our screenings at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall in partnership with the Scottish Cinema Organ Trust. These screenings make the most of the fantastic and mighty Wurlitzer organ installed in the halls.


This time next week we will be screening a Soviet Cinema classic, Battleship Potemkin. It is considered to be one of the best films ever made-in 2011 Total Film said “...nearly 90 years on, Eisenstein’s masterpiece is still guaranteed to get the pulse racing.”
Sun 19th May, 8pm, doors 7.30pm
Pollokshaws Burgh Hall.
Price: £6/£5
Cert PG, 66 mins, 1925 
Battleship Potemkin is a dramatised version of the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against their officers of the Tsarist regime. Sergei Eisenstein famously wrote Battleship Potemkin as revolutionist propaganda and to test his idea of montage, his new cinematic language, to produce a strong emotional response in the audience. The most celebrated, and parodied, sequence in the film is of the Odessa steps where a baby’s pram slowly bumps its way down the steps, intercut with harrowing images of the massacre.


This is a unique opportunity to see this classic film with live musical accompaniment that will bring the film to life. A must for students of cinema and/or Russian history or simply those with an interest in the only remaining cinema organ in Scotland. 

Download the flyer here and read the full programme online.

Film Quiz @ The Bungo

The 2013 Southside Film Festival kicks off this Thursday with the third Film Quiz. Brought to you by quiz host maestros Barry Young and Noelle Carroll.

Thursday 16th May
7.30pm - 11pm at The Bungo (Basement)
Price: £3 per person, teams limited to 5 people per table, pay cash on door - Over 18s only

Look out for the beautiful posters and flyers designed by Paul being put up around the Southside.


It’s not every night you can sit in the pub and get the answers to some of life’s great questions. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? What’s eating Gilbert Grape? Any developments, Pussycat? O Brother, Where Art Thou? Exactly how green was my valley?

Come down to The Bungo Bar on Thursday May 16th for the third Southside Film Festival Quiz and win yourself some prizes.

Saturday 11 May 2013

Promotional Short Films

Our wonderful volunteers have been working hard for the last couple of weeks on promotional films for some of the great venues we are going to be using during the festival next weekend.


You can view all the films on our YouTube channel.




The Light kicks off the Festival!






With less than a week to go until the festival kick off, programmes are being handed out all over the Southside, venues are setting out their chairs and volunteers are making sure everything’s ready to go. This Friday, the 17th May, it’s only fitting that the 2013 Southside Festival kicks off with a screening of ‘We Are Northern Lights’ at The Glad Cafe on Pollokshaws Road.

It’s fitting because the Southside Festival is ran by the public, for the public, much like the Northern Lights documentary. It’s a film made up of footage from over 100 members of the public of bonnie Scotland. It covers everything from the beautiful scenery of the Highlands to the hustle and bustle of T In The Park.

In 2012, people from across the country were encouraged to take personal videos of Scotland’s past, present and future and the result was thousands of submissions that have been edited down into this fantastic piece of cinema that will leave you goosebumps and smiling by the end.

I saw the trailer for the film a couple of months ago when I went to see a Hollywood blockbuster and in truth, when I left the screening, all I could think about was ‘We Are Northern Lights’ I wanted to see this film about our wonderful country.

So this Friday, I hope you’ll come along and help us kick off the festival with a film made by the people of Scotland, for the people of Scotland!

Saturday 4 May 2013

Hello one and all!



Hello one and all, my name’s Kenny and I’m the newest volunteer to the Southside Film Festival for 2013. I deliberated on whether to start off with a bad movie quote or pun, but I’ve opted for the more sensible option (even though I’ve told you what I was planning anyway, DARN!).....

My route into working as a volunteer at the festival has been a unique one. I studied Sociology at university, which by the end felt like I was watching Beverly Hills Cop 3 on repeat, which isn’t a good thing. I then did a postgraduate course in Broadcast Journalism and started a career in television which was a lot of fun. I worked on various TV shows from ‘The Hour’ on STV to quiz shows like BBC’s Eggheads, researching and helping out before coming to the realisation that film was my passion and that’s where I wanted to focus myself. After pleading with the lovely organisers of the Southside Festival to let me be involved, they have opened their arms and accepted me as one of their own. There’s a real community feel to the group of people that are working so hard and passionately to make the festival enjoyable for you guys and gals coming along as well as the staff that will be working throughout the weekend of the festival.

I’ve lived in the southside a few times throughout the years and I feel like this festival is one of a few times during the year where the southside can embrace and celebrate its community spirit. For one weekend, you don’t need to get the First Bus to Cineworld or hop on the Subway to The Grosvenor, instead you can experience great film in your own back garden. Not literally of course, but you get what I mean.

We’ll be updating the blog regularly between now and the festival so you can get all the inside scoops on what’s happening with the festival and maybe a sneak peek into what the volunteers are getting up to in the lead up to the big weekend.

Also, we’re starting to get the programme out into the community so keep an eye out for a copy and see what’s on - or you can just check it out from the comfort of your own sofa, online here.
If you’re a social media lover then make sure and follow us on Twitter (and get involved in all the chat using the #southsidefilm hashtag) & 'Like' us on Facebook to keep up-to-date with all things Southside.

Friday 3 May 2013

SFF - Venue Shorts


Hi everyone, I’m Selcuk and like Laura, this is my first year working at the festival. It’s less than a fortnight until it all kicks off and I hope you’ve had a chance to browse through our programme and pick what events you’re coming to.  

Myself and a few of the other volunteers have grouped together to make a couple of shorts for you that will showcase some of the venues being used at this years’ festival, namely Scotland St School Museum, Govanhill Baths and the grand Pollok House (as well as others). Below is a photo of us filming the charismatic (and slightly scary) heedie who, before this photo was taken, had us doing star jumps and marching on the spot - screeching out that we were the worst pupils he had seen in years! 


Going down to Scotland St brought back great childhood memories of visiting the museum with my classmates, I hope you’ll be able to get down there during the festival.

Today, we are filming at Govanhill Baths – I can’t quite contain or explain my excitement at the prospect of standing in an empty swimming pool! Is that a bit weird? Here is a photo taken by David Cherry (a fellow SFF volunteer) during the pool’s transformation from hollow bath to theatre stage – pretty cool eh? 


We are screening a selection of short films in the baths, starting at 9:30pm on Saturday 18th May – I’ll see you there.

We will post the links to all of the shorts, hopefully very soon - so keep your eyes peeled!

So far, working at the festival has made me realise that I’m guilty of taking for granted what brilliant spaces we have here in the Southside that can be utilised. I’m looking forward to revisiting these venues and in what better way to enjoy them than through film.

Tweet me: @selcuk_m – I’m always up for a chat! Let me know what you’re coming to see at the festival. 
#SFF13 #SouthsideFilm 

Sunday 28 April 2013

I ♥ SFF'13



Hello folks, Laura here! I’m one of the new volunteers with the Southside Film Festival & I’m here to tell you all how super-excited I am to get involved with all the goings on in 2013. 

Having studied Film many moons ago, worked in events & volunteered with various other film festivals, I’ve now made a complete U-turn and been working in a completely unrelated field . My love for film however, has never waned - I’ve been keen to get back involved with the industry in some respect and the Southside Film Festival has offered a wonderful opportunity to work alongside some of the most amazingly talented & passionate film fans this side of the Clyde. I have been absolutely bowled over by the enthusiasm of the team of volunteers I’ve met so far who are offering up their time & skills to get involved and help bring film back to the Sou’side . 

That very distinct Southside community feel seems to have filtered through into the organisation process so far with everybody mucking in & working hard to help make the 2013 festival  a huge success. 

We’ll be looking to update the blog as often as possible over the next few weeks with all the goings on from behind the scenes in the lead up to the festival, so keep checking back to see what kind of fun we’re all getting up to. 

In the meantime, keep yer peepers peeled for a copy of this years programme which we started distributing in & around the southside yesterday - you can also check it out online here.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter (and get involved in all the chat using the #southsidefilm hashtag) & 'Like' us on Facebook to keep upto date with all things Southside.


Saturday 27 April 2013

2013 Film Festival Programme

We picked up our programme from Forward Graphics yesterday and have started to distribute them around the festival venues as well as other cafes and shops in the Southside.

An excerpt from the introduction by festival director, Karen O'Hare: "We continue to create ‘pop up’ cinemas around the Southside so you can watch films in a pub, cafe, museum, garden, community hall... and site specific screenings add to the viewing experience - watch a documentary about a photojournalist in a photography club, a film about caravanning in a scout hall and music documentary in a gig venue . The mighty Wurlitzer Cinema Organ is back with live accompaniment to Soviet classic, Battleship Potemkin. And alongside the films there is a filmmaking workshop for teenagers, an animation workshop for kids and the film quiz is back!"

You can view our programme online here.

We've also created this at-a-glance guide for the 2013 Southside Film Festival:

at a glance guide

Saturday 9 March 2013

New volunteers

We had a great meeting this afternoon with new volunteers for the May festival. They were full of good ideas about the festival and plans for using the blog more.

So in the next couple of weeks you'll be hearing from more voices on the blog. They'll be posting about why they've decided to volunteer with the Southside Film Festival, news from behind the scenes information about the planning and preparations for a festival and then over the festival weekend itself.


Sunday 17 February 2013

February Film Club SOLD OUT

Our first Spring Film Club screening is now SOLD OUT!

On Tuesday 19 February we are screening In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey as part of the Glasgow Film Festival and the first of our Spring Film Club in partnership with The Glad Cafe.


In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey (N/C 15)
Synopsis: The unique, guitar finger-picking sound of John Fahey influenced a range of musicians – from Pete Townshend (who calls him the folk equivalent of William Burroughs or Charles Bukowski) to Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Chris Funk of The Decemberists. This documentary recounts the dynamic life of the eccentric guitarist, who transcended blues traditions, melding them with both world and classical forms. Featuring talking heads along with archive footage of performances and interviews, this film creates a vivid portrait of a true guitar pioneer.

**Following the screening will be a short solo set from folk guitarist Alasdair Roberts and the director of the film James Cullingham will take part in a Q&A.**

In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey
Cert N/C 15+, 2012 (58 mins)
The Glad Cafe
Tuesday 19 February, 8pm (
doors at 7:30pm)
All Film Club screenings are held at The Glad Cafe, 1006a Pollokshaws Road, Shawlands (opposite the five-a-side football pitches) and are usually Tuesday evenings, apart from Saturday matinees for kids. 

We have 3 other Spring Film Club screenings planned:
Plus on Friday 15 March there is a rescheduled Green Screen: Irish Documentary Double Bill screening of A Million Bricks (N/C 15) & Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey (N/C 15