Trainspotting to open outdoor film festival in locations that inspired them

A double bill of Trainspotting and its sequel T2 Trainspotting will open a festival celebrating Scottish films in the places that inspired them.

The films, both partly filmed in the Leith district of Edinburgh, will be shown on a giant LED screen outside a brewery as part of the Cinescapes festival.

The festival will run from July to October, with a finale screening of Sylvain Chomet’s animated film, The Illusionist, at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, on October 16.

There will also be a screening of Under The Skin in Glasgow on July 31, Nae Pasaran in East Kilbride on August 21 and Aquarela in Oban in September.

Area residents will be able to watch the films for free at paid, socially distanced outdoor screenings, with the option to donate, and they will also be shared online with people around the world, with viewers paying on a scale mobile. .

Amanda Rogers, founder of Cinescapes, said: “This has been a long time in the planning and we are really excited to be able to launch this project.

“Trainspotting is a phenomenon that propelled Scottish cinema onto the international stage and, 25 years after its release, it stands the test of time.

“T2 Trainspotting was a very interesting sequel and it was partly filmed in Leith – which fits with our ambition to show films in the places that inspired them.”

The outdoor double bill of Trainspotting will take place on a giant LED screen outside the Campervan tap room in Leith on July 4.

Aquarela, directed by Viktor Kossakovsky and described as “the most dangerous documentary ever made”, looks at the awesome and destructive power of water and will be screened in a free public screening at McCaig’s Tower in Oban in partnership with Oban Phoenix on September 24. .

The festival was originally planned as a winter event using projections. However, due to lockdown delays and the long Scottish summer days, films will mainly be shown on giant LED screens, rather than projected onto buildings and landscapes.

The team behind Cinescapes will also create supporting materials that will be shared with online audiences around the world.

Isobel Salamon, founder of the Edinburgh Cinema Club and co-producer of Cinescapes, said: “We are creating a series of interviews featuring directors, actors and people involved in each of the films.

“We are also preparing a visual guide to each of the areas the film draws inspiration from as well as long-form podcasts.

“For local audiences, the Cinescapes Festival will be a community event, but for film buffs around the world, it will give a deep dive into the films and insight into the landscapes that inspired them.”

The festival is supported by Film Hub Scotland and Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund, which was established by EventScotland in conjunction with the Scottish Government to support the Scottish Events Sector Plan and deliver events until the end of 2021, and the help respond and adapt to the effects of the pandemic.

Paul Bush, Events Director at VisitScotland, said: “Through innovation and creativity, local communities will be able to celebrate Scottish cinema in the places that inspired them while those further afield can join in the fun by line.

“Scotland is the ideal venue for hosting events and supporting events, including the Cinescapes Festival, are crucial to our recovery from the pandemic.”

Information can be found at https://cinetopiashow.com/cinescapes