THE lineup for an international film festival in a picturesque Scottish town has been revealed, as it aims to celebrate artists who “challenge and inspire” audiences.
St Andrews’s Sands: International Film Festival will be returning for its fourth year with a programme which aims to celebrate “bold storytelling” and will be taking place from April 25-27.
The festival will open this year with James Griffiths’ comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, featuring Tim Key, Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan, in which a lottery winner pays his favourite folk duo to reunite and perform a concert on his remote island.
The Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land offers a powerful telling of the destruction in the West Bank in Gaza through the friendship between a Palestinian filmmaker and an Israeli journalist.
Festival director Ania Trzebiatowska said Sands aims to platform “exciting” new voices and help to grow the film industry in Scotland.
She said: “For me, Sands is about fostering connection and strengthening community.
“In these complicated times, the empathy that films can evoke feels more vital than ever.
“Now in its fourth year, our boutique film festival in St Andrews has always been driven by a desire to grow in depth and meaning, rather than size.
“I see Sands as both a platform for exciting new voices and a space where passionate, creative people can come together to connect and discuss their work in the film industry.”
Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other, which follows a married couple as they reflect on their lives together and navigate ageing and the changes it brings, will also be screened while co-director and producer Manon Ouimet will be in attendance for a Q&A to discuss.
Meanwhile, Witches, a hypnotic, genre-defying exploration of feminine power, folklore, and rebellion from writer and director Elizabeth Sankey, who will also take part in a Q&A, alongside composer and producer Jeremy Warmsley.
The festival is also partnering with the University of Glasgow and Curate-it to bring students and UK professionals together with leading industry figures, while also working with local schools to introduce pupils to cinema through a screening of Yasmeen’s Element.
Filmmakers Amman Abbasi and Jeffrey E. Stern will be in attendance at the festival to introduce the inspiring film to audiences.
The festival will also run a series of talks focused on film curation and the role of the curator including talks with artistic directors of some of the world’s leading film festivals and events.
AGBO’s, the production company which founded the festival in 2021, chief creative officer Angela Russo-Otstot said Sands aims to champion artists who challenge and inspire audiences.
She said: “Sands has always been about celebrating bold storytelling and fostering meaningful creative connections.
“This year’s program reflects the festival’s commitment to amplifying diverse voices and championing artists who challenge, inspire, and innovate.
“At AGBO, we are especially excited to be joined by Frank E. Flowers in conversation, highlighting the importance of mentorship and the pathways that help shape the next generation of filmmakers.”
Tickets to this year’s festival can be purchased here via the Byre Theatre website.
