Edinburgh Nomad Cinema Over the years we have seen the festival grow and grow and this success is thanks to our loyal audiences, and your belief in the power of African films. This year to say thank you we have created a travelling cinema, called the AiM Nomad Cinema, which takes films outside of the traditional cinema venues to create pop-up screenings in bars, churches, empty swimming pools, on buses and more.
Horror Film Night Sun 27 Oct, 9pm - 3am Banshee Labyrinth, Niddry St £5 per ticket on the door Once part of Edinburgh’s infamous underground vaults, the Banshee Labyrinth is one of Scotland’s most haunted pubs. Now home to the tortured souls of thieves, criminals and the very unsavoury, it provides a perfect setting for our African horror film evening. African horror is a tricky genre to get right. Horror movies, almost by their nature, have to step across lines of political correctness. But portrayal of Africans in film is historically tainted by racialised imagery and superficial presentations of magical beliefs in various cultures.
South African adventures at the Summerhall Sat 26 Oct, 7pm - 9pm Summerhall, Red lecture theatre Free and non-ticketed The Animal Communicator at 7pm (see page 33) Two Wings Many Prayers at 8pm (see page 35) The Summerhall is one of Edinburgh’s newest and biggest arts venues, the former Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, now a creative hub for arts and sciences. In keeping with its history we are screening two African documentaries about adventure and the art of animal communication.
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Edinburgh Filmhouse: 0131 228 2688
Yet those aspects of African society – animist beliefs, sangomas (‘witch doctors’), the merging of magical realism into many aspects of everyday life – provide a rich stew for filmmakers to dip into, and are arguably among the defining characteristics of classic African storytelling. They provide a wonderful shortcut for getting straight to the (often bloody) heart of the tale. No ‘origins’. No exposition. Just a descent into the pit. These cultural influences, used well, allow African horror to be almost uniquely sparse and economical in its aim of making you, dear viewer, squirm and sweat. We have chosen several of our favourite spine-chillers - some short, some feature-length - and invite you to jump into the pit with us. We take no responsibility for what happens next… We are screening the South African horror film Night Drive at 9pm (see page 24) plus several African horror shorts.
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