Grassmarket Community Cinema: Dark Days (15): when he relocated from London to Manhattan, Marc Singer discovered that some of the city’s homeless people were living in abandoned tunnels. He met and became friends with a group living in The Freedom Tunnel community stretching north from Penn Station past Harlem. Singer had never made a film before; he saw Dark Days’ production as a means of gaining better accommodation for the residents of the tunnel. The film’s crew consisted of the subjects themselves, who rigged up makeshift lighting and steadicam dollies and learned to use a 16mm camera with Kodak film. The post-production took years, as both financial difficulties and Singer’s insistence on creative control to protect the tunnel’s residents caused many delays. The film features music by DJ Shadow and was edited by Melissa Neidich. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome; free – donations to the Project also very welcome. The cafe will be open – please use it!
For Crying Out Loud: exclusive screenings for parents and carers and their babies under 12 months. Baby changing, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Thebe (15) (in Arabic with English subtitles): a coming-of-age adventure set in 1916, in the desolate yet beautiful landscapes of the Hijaz region. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult (maximum 2 adults per baby) and may be obtained from the Box Office in person or by calling 0131 228 6382.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Adult Book Group: join the group for lively, friendly book chatter about a wide range of books – fiction, non-fiction, classic, contemporary, prizewinners, cult heroes – anything you fancy! Currently reading Ian McEwan’s The Children Act. September’s book will be Nadeem Aslam’s The Wasted Vigil. 6pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. If you would like to join the group (it’s free), please email your name and address to events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Artist Rooms: Roy Lichtenstein Curator’s Tour. Lucy Askew, Senior Curator at the Gallery of Modern Art, leads a tour of this exhibition. 12.45-1.30pm, First Floor, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Escher Drop-in Sessions: visit the Escher exhibition at Modern TWO then cross over the road to the Bothy at Modern ONE and work with artist Campbell Sandilands to make some artwork inspired by what you have seen. 2-4pm, The Bothy, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Also at same times on 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st August.
Edinburgh Book Fringe: daily events – all of them free (donations appreciated) – for two weeks at Word Power Books, Edinburgh’s independent radical bookshop. Today: Keith Venables, Convenor of the Independent Working Class Education Network, discusses A Manifesto for Independent Working Class Education, which asks what we can learn from the historic struggles of workers who demanded an education that suited their needs. ‘An historic account of the struggles and the spark for a debate about the way forward’. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. All welcome! No booking required, but arrive promptly as space is limited.
Curated by…. a season of films hand-picked by invited Festival regulars. Each screening will feature an in-person introduction by the curator, revealing their passion for the film and their reasons for choosing it. Today: Camille Sullivan presents The Wizard of Oz (U). 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Picturehouses Culture Shock: bringing you the best in cult and genre films. Today’s film is Top Gun (12A), which takes a look at the danger and excitement that awaits every pilot at the Navy’s prestigious fighter weapons school. Tom Cruise stars. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online; prices vary.
Leith Central Community Council Meeting: 7pm, Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, 12a Newkirkgate. All welcome.
Sofi’s Cult Movie Mondays: popular classics on the silver screen in Sofi’s cosy darkened back room. Free popcorn! Tonight’s film is Inside Llewyn Davis (15). Struggling New York City folk singer Llewyn Davis embarks on an odyssey that takes him from the streets of 1961 Greenwich Village to a Chicago Club, where awaits the music mogul who could give him the big break he needs. 8pm, Sofi’s, Henderson Street.
