Dark Nights Film Festival | from Bond to zombies
Dark Nights Film Festival
Aberdeen will play host to the Dark Nights Film Festival this March. The festival, brand new to the city, runs from 4-5 March and will share a dazzling array of Scottish screen stories from Bond to flesh eating zombies. The exciting programme of events will see writers, directors, editors and actors share their experience of the industry. It’s expected to be a celebration of Scots and their silver screen stories.
An intriguing line-up for genre movie fans
Dark Nights, which is open to all, includes a spine-tingling screenwriting workshop with Sergio Casci, the screenwriter perhaps best known for scripting the 2019 Hammer horror ‘The Lodge’. What’s more, zombie film fans will be herding their way to a special screening of ‘Zombie Flesh Eaters’ where Scottish actor Ian McCulloch will share his thoughts about his role the controversial 1979 horror.
Diversity in the industry will play an important part in Dark Nights. A panel session featuring Alexandra Maria Colta from 50/50 Women Direct, Dr Clive Nwonka, lecturer in Film, Culture and Society, and also POST regular Ica Headlam, founder of We Are Here Scotland will take a critical look at gender and racial representation in the Scottish film industry.
Organised by the University of Aberdeen, Dark Nights is the first in a series of new festivals the University is hosting in 2022. UNI-Versal is part of the University’s commitment to supporting the city region’s recovery from Covid-19. Vice-Principle Professor Peter Edwards told us, “Scotland has a rich history in the cultural arts with its people, places and stories creating a vibrant creative sector whose influence resonates around the world.
“The University itself is a cultural focal point for the local community. We are a catalyst for creativity, nurturing new ideas and, through our wide range of engaging and interactive festivals and events, providing the forum for bringing people together, something we believe is hugely important to our role in the North-east.”
Bond and Highlander
Designed to showcase Scotland’s stories and links to film with a curious slant, the festival also includes two events dedicated to the James Bond series and the Highlander mythology.
Edinburgh-based author Jonathan Melville will be answering audience questions after a screening of ‘Highlander‘, with a focus on his epic book that also covers the entire production history of the Celtic sci-fi smash-hit.
Sean Connery’s ongoing legacy and lineage as 007 meanwhile will be addressed by a panel of Bond franchise alumni including British film and television editor John Grover (Octopussy, The Living Daylights) and cinematographer Phil Méheux (Goldeneye, Casino Royale) for a talk about their cinematic undercover operations in the panel ‘Shaken Not Stirred – Bond: Past, Present and Future’
Organisers of the Darks Nights Film Festival will announce further events shortly. Details of the UNI-Versal series of festivals and the Dark Nights film festival programme can be found at on the University website.
Booking is required for both free and paid-for events.
About POST
Kevin Mitchell and Chris Sansbury founded POST. This was from a desire to cut through the noise to share the great things that happen in Aberdeen. They focus on community, culture and also the interesting people of the city. The local artists, businesses and charities; photographers, musicians and entertainers. These are the people that make a positive impact on our city every day. So they use video, audio, writing and social media to amplify the voices in our community. And to ultimately give a platform to Aberdeen folk to engage and tell their own stories.
Recent work includes coverage of Spectra 2023, interviews with We Are Here Scotland founder Ica Headlam; Paralympic gold medalist, Neil Fachie; Aberdeen rapper Chef and his push for success; an article about the pedestrianisation of Union Street; coverage of Nuart Aberdeen and TEDx Aberdeen, as well as coverage of the campaign to Save the Belmont.
We are independent and entirely self funded. We just about cover our costs, but if you would like to help support our work, you could buy us a coffee.
