Homage to Catalonia – Scotland’s Catalan Film Festival

A new film festival arrives in Scotland exploring the relationship between Scotland and Catalonia through cinema.

27 September – 6 October 2017

Edinburgh 27 Sept – 1 Oct / Glasgow 3 – 6 Oct

Homage to Catalonia is Scotland’s freshest celebration of the best contemporary Catalan cinema. Edinburgh and Glasgow will play host to a total of fifteen features. The programme is a carefully curated mixture of short films and feature films to highlight the finest, freshest Catalan films, as the region is experiencing a resurgence as one of Europe’s most creative cinema hubs.

A joint effort from Scottish and Catalan organisations brings us Homage to Catalonia. Coordinated by Edinburgh-based guerrilla film collective Cinemaattic, the festival will include visits from relevant directors, producers and artists as part of the eclectic line-up of events in some of Scotland’s top venues. Events will be held at popular venues including Summerhall, The Scottish Storytelling Centre or the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow.

Scotland and Catalonia, two ever compared nations -now more than ever-, seeking to better understand similarities and core differences throughout the Arts. The festival aims to debate relevant and central issues including political participation, democracy today and national security as most screenings are integrated with talks and panels.

This is a fantastic selection to find out what’s going on both rural landscapes of Catalonia and its ever-inspirational capital Barcelona

As well as feature films, the programme offers a week of poetry, spoken word, parties, gastronomic events, talks and a particularly strong showing of short films. When it comes to a party, no one knows how to do it quite like the Spanish. With this in mind the opening cocktail party at Summerhall (Thurs 28), Edinburgh’s Big Night (Fri 29) and the closing party at CCA (Fri 6 Oct) will include Catalan gastronomy, Mediterranean beer galore, typical castellers (human tower) shows, live music and DJ sets exploring the roots of “rumba catalana”.

Pencil doon amig@s, here’s the official programme and our WHAT’S ON

Problems to see the programme? You can download festival logos and programme Here

Get Excited! Be part of it!

Use @CinemaAttic and #homagecat #scotcatfilmfest #catalanfilmfest to share it with your amig@s!

WHAT’S ON?

CATALAN SHORTS Night

The house speciality. We demand more short films and hence shorts are central in the programme. Are we facing one of the strongest short film programmes we ever had? We hate to choose one, but if you can make it to only thing, you want to see Cinemaattic’s full social power on display at Old St Paul’s Hall / CCA Glasgow. You should make it to the Short Film Night. Both Glasgow and Edinburgh short film nights are complemented with Catalan gastronomy and Roots of rumba catalana DJ sets.

List of short-films, more info and tickets: Here

PERE PORTABELLA. A unique filmmaker

Glasgow will see a double bill of Pere Portabella’s general report documentaries together with a very strong panel discussion.

The festival programme includes the latest feature from the prolific politician, avant-garde filmmaker and living legend Pere Portabella, General Report II: The New Abduction of Europe. The film is a spellbinding investigation of the economic, political, social, and environmental crises currently affecting Europe. As part of the Catalan classics strand, the festival will also feature Portabella’s predecessor film General Report on Certain Matters of Interest For a Public Screening (1976), which detailed the struggle within a post-Franco Spain during its transition to democracy.

More info and tickets – Catalan Classics. General Report (1976): Here

More info and tickets – General Report II: The New Abduction of Europe + Panel Debate: Here

UNCERTAIN GLORY:
PASSION AND SPANISH CIVIL WAR

A film that examines the intensity of human passion against the backdrop of war. One fiction feature, Uncertain Glory by Agusti Villaronga will bring the Catalan point of view on Spanish civil war. The film will be preceded by the Opening Cocktail @Summerhall Cafe with a live music, catalan food and drinks and a Castellers show by Colla Castellera d’Edimburg

More info and tickets – Here

DEAD SLOW AHEAD + CUCLI

Two of the most remarkable visual experiences we recently seen in a cinema together for one night. Short +Feature + Q&A with producer Salva Sunyer. Barcelona is today one of Europe’s most important centres for the study and production of Creative Documentary or “Documental de Creacion”. Directly influenced by the avant gardist filmmakers from the Escola de Barcelona (School of Barcelona), a new generation claims its place and their works sweep international festival competitions. Mauro Herce and Dead Slow ahead are key to understand that generation.”A masterpiece of mood and almost approaches the ever ambiguous concept of “pure cinema”. (Josh Hamm – PopOptiq)

Dead Slow Ahead + Cucli: More info and tickets: Here

UK PREMIERE HACKING JUSTICE:
When Baltasar Garzón met Julian Assange

The film will have its UK premiere on Wednesday 27th September at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh and is expected that both directors travel from Berlin to attend along Wikileaks legal adviser Renata Avila. The special screening will be followed by a panel discussion with human rights and legal experts on the theme of “National Security vs Freedom of Information“.

Hacking Justice: More info and tickets – Here

SPOKEN WORD
SELECTED CATALAN POEMS

Catalá is one of the richest languages in Europe with a strong poetry tradition. We wanted a richer festival this year with specific events to promote Catalan language. Selected Poems. Spoken word and poetry by Jordi Larios and Noèlia Díaz Vicedo. Two masters of Catalan Arts together for one night.

Poetry Recital: More info and tickets – Here

THEATRE FOR FAMILIES.
POPULAR KID TALES

There are numerous catalan families and parents in Scotland unable to find family activities for kids in Catalá. We hope to help our bit with an event promoting Catalan culture for the wee ones.

Popular Kid Tales: More info and tickets – Here

IN CONVERSATION. MASTERCLASSES

We have selected some of the most remarkable professionals in the field of documentary film and animation to talk about the moment in the sun of Catalan Films.

Clara Lopez Rubio & Juan Pancorbo: Chasing Garzón and Assange – Straight from Berlin, Clara and Juan will share the process of making their first documentary in a challenging environment involving mass espionage, communication interception and whistle-blowers. Free ticketed, register here

Salvador Sunyer: Modelling Reality – Barcelona based Nanouk Films have played a central role on a new generation of documentary filmmakers, producing some of its most acclaimed works. Free ticketed, register here

Mario Torrecillas: Animation that Matters – When we knew about the work that Barcelona based PDA Films is doing with kids in deprived and war-torn areas around the world we wanted to have their story to be heard in Scotland. Free ticketed, register here

*All masterclasses are Free ticketed

please secure your space by confirming your attendance

AN EXTENDED PROGRAMME

Thought-Provoking Documentary Films

The festival will open with the UK premiere of the controversial documentary ‘Hacking Justice’. This Catalan-German film follows the defence of Julian Assange by Judge Baltasar Garzon, a prominent judge who after investigating human rights abuses in countries including Chile, Chad and Argentina decided to take the defence of Wikileaks founder.

The festival programme is packed full of political flavour and it includes the latest feature from the prolific politician, avant-garde filmmaker and living legend Pere Portabella, General Report II: The New Abduction of Europe. The film is a spellbinding investigation of the economic, political, social, and environmental crises currently affecting Europe.

As part of the Catalan classics strand, the festival will also feature Portabella’s predecessor film General Report on Certain Matters of Interest For a Public Screening (1976), which detailed the struggle within a post-Franco Spain during its transition to democracy.

To represent the new wave of Catalan filmmakers the festival includes the mind-blowing documentary Dead Slow Ahead by Mauro Herce. Unlike anything you’ve ever seen, Dead Slow Ahead offers a shockingly astonishing visual experience. “A masterpiece of the mood” guarantee Cinemaattic team.

One Fiction Feature, Uncertain Glory by Agusti Villaronga will bring the Catalan point of view on Spanish civil war. Based on the novel of Joan Sales, it was the first Catalan novel to depict the Spanish civil war from the defeated, republican side. Viewers will have the chance to experience a very well-known piece of history from a less well-known point of view, making this film a fascinating experience for all.

Beyond Film. Special Events

All guests will participate in learning activities at Scottish Universities. One event garnering a lot of attention for good reason is the Mario Torrecilla Animation masterclass at Adam House on Friday 29th.

“When we heard about the work that the Barcelona-based studio PDA Films is doing with kids in deprived and war-torn areas around the world we wanted to have their story heard in Scotland” Says Alberto Valverde from Cinemaattic.

Beyond film, the programme includes spoken word recitals with acclaimed poets Jordi Larios and Noelia Diaz Vicedo, and activities for the whole family including theatre for kids.

When it comes to a party, no one knows how to do it quite like the Spanish. With this in mind the opening cocktail party at Summerhall café is a must-attend event. The party will include a typical Catalan ‘Castellet’ (Human Towers) show, Mediterranean beer Estrella Damm galore, food and live music by The Manolettes.

The festival’s big night in Edinburgh will take place on Friday, with the official selection of the best short films alongside a Catalan tapas menu and a DJ SET afterparty, all taking place at Old St. Paul’s Hall Edinburgh. For the Glasgow banter Saramago Cafe will tailor a special Mediterranean food menu and famous resident noisemakers will bring the festival to an end on Friday 6 Oct, with a DJ set exploring the origins of gypsy Rumba Catalan music.

A wave of Mediterranean heat will hit Scottish screens in September. Don’t miss it.