As part of the ongoing Creative Scotland Film Review, earlier today at Film City Glasgow a group of interested parties met to discuss production and finance. According to my partner, Owen Thomas – one of the few who could be bothered attending – it seems that BOP Consulting is merely charged with taking the temperature of Scottish film rather than arriving at a meaningful prescription.

Having answered CS’ call for open submissions for this review, I’ve decided to publish my…

Dodging the rush hour queues, my pulse races faster than the traffic. I’m on my way to Cineworld, Renfrew Street, said to boast the largest attendance figures of any European cinema. The ground on which it stands is, in my mind, more vivid as the site of Green’s Playhouse and the Apollo Centre, a famed music venue that earned its keep by screening the occasional film.

Here I once went on a doomed double date with my sister and two…

Thanks to the many people who’ve contacted me about the screenings of the film. This week, The Devil’s Plantation will be showing at Cineworld in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen – the showtimes for all screenings is 6.00pm today, Monday 21st October and also at 8.15pm on Thursday 24th October as part of the BAFTA Scotland/Cineworld Audience Awards.

For those of you who can’t make it to the cinema, I’ve made the film available online for free for a limited…

Regular readers of this blog might be excused for thinking I’ve lost my way. What began in 2007 as a record of my city-wide meanderings while making The Devil’s Plantation has lately turned into a rant on the vagaries of public arts funding in general and film funding in particular and for which I apologise. A backward glance at my posts over the last six years has me hankering for the days I took the 900 bus from Edinburgh…

Years ago, after completing my first feature, One Life Stand, I was surprised to see it listed in the Time Out Film Guide where it was favourably reviewed. Inside our copy my husband wrote a thoughtful inscription – Because it lasts forever. Now, sitting in my shed at the start of a New Year, I reflect again on his words because – to the chagrin of many an ex-porn star, I’m certain – films really do last forever,…

Like most things connected with this project, chance plays a large part. Enter Arild Tveito – a Norwegian artist who has spent five months in residence at the CCA, Glasgow. A couple of weeks ago Arild contacted me to ask if I would screen The Devil’s Plantation to accompany the launch of his publication, Elucidations. This will take place on Friday June 20th – which also happens to be my wedding anniversary.

Arild told me he had caught the…

After its recent outings at the CCA and at Diorama in Oslo, I’m pleased to announce that the movie version of TDP is screening at the Glad Cafe on Friday, 11th July. I live close to the Glad and since much of the film was shot on the southside, it’s great to screen it there, one of the few venues south of the Clyde that shows films.

I’m especially pleased that the wonderful actor, Gary Lewis, who narrates half the…

Thanks go to the Glad Cafe, to my friend, Gary Lewis and to the wonderful audience who came along last Friday to watch the film. To see such a large-ish and diverse crowd on a rare sunny evening was something of a relief and judging by the positive comments it was not only well-received – I’m still getting emails about it today – plainly it blew some folk away.

It’s no idle boast. This is getting to be a…

Strange how things work out.

If it wasn’t for Arild Tveito my film would never have screened at the CCA. Then, after months, The Glad Cafe got in touch to request it. Now, as the result of a chance meeting at the Tramway, I’ve been asked to show the film at the Market Gallery as part of the ongoing Generation programme of exhibition and events celebrating 25 years of contemporary Scottish art. On that score – and thanks…

UPDATE – THE TIME/DATE OF THE BIRKS CINEMA SCREENING IS 2PM, SUNDAY 16TH NOVEMBER.

I’m pleased to announce a screening of the film at the Birks Cinema, Aberfeldy, courtesy of the Heartland Film Society as part of the Aberfeldy Film Festival. I’ve also agreed to attend because I’m keen to see the cinema, originally built in 1939 but recently refurbished with a 100-seat state-of-the-art digital theatre. I’m happy too to meet the good folks of Aberfeldy so if…