A brand new film festival will take place in Leith next month.
Fiends in the Furrows will run from 23 to 26 April. It is a combined operation between film events and networking organisation, Cinetopia and the weekly film club, Leith Kino. Fourteen film screenings will take place over four days at venues including South Leith Parish Church Halls, and Leith Depot. If the event is successful then it is hoped to run it annually.
The horror classic, The Wicker Man – voted the sixth best film of all time – will be shown in the open air in Dock Place starring Edward Woodward as he travels to a fictional Hebridean island called Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. He becomes caught up in a pagan cult led by Lord Summerisle played by Christopher Lee.
The programme includes a gala presentation of Ken Russell’s 1988 farce The Lair of the White Worm at Leith Dockers Club to open the festival. Featuring Peter Capaldi as a Scottish archaeologist who uncovers the skull of a strange supernatural creature on a dig in Derbyshire, the film was a box office flop – but went on to become a cult hit, loved for its schlock horror and psychedelic atmosphere.
But there will also be an outdoor film for children included with a family screening of Watership Down at the pop up cinema on Dock Place on Sunday, followed by a PG rated Rupert Russell documentary.The Last Sacrifice relates the story of an unexplained ritualistic murder in Warwickshire.
On Saturday 26 April, M Night Shymalan’s The Village will be shown at South Leith Parish Halls. This is a gothic period horror set in nineteenth century Pennsylvania.
Amanda Rogers of Cinetopia said: “Folk Horror is a great genre. It is rooted in the British folk tradition and the Wicker Man, which is set in Scotland, has such a cult following. Open air screenings have such a special atmosphere and I have always wanted to stage an outdoor showing of The Wicker Man.”
Fraser Elliot, co-founder of Leith Kino, said the success of Leith Kino showed a real appetite for cultural events in Leith. Held weekly, Leith Kino is a pop up 50-seat cinema hosted by Leith Depot, which focuses on the underseen, the under-appreciated and the maligned oddities of cinematic art. Events are often sold out.
Elliot explained that folk horror is a fascinating category of film. “It is a hugely contested genre – but generally it is where the folk are the horror. It is rooted in paganism and religious cults but it is also about looking for a connection with the countryside and nature and the land. I think with the rise of AI and the aftermath of Covid people are really looking for that kind of meaning again.”
Morvern Cunningham, co-founder of Leith Kino, said folk horror was having a moment. “It is folklore – but off kilter. It’s about the connection and disconnection to the land and the feeling that the world is out of balance, much like many people are experiencing right now.”
The closing open air screening will be Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada – a brand-new sci fi drama set in Cornwall. Enys Men, another work by Jenkin will also be shown on Sunday.
Katharine Simpson from Screen Scotland said: “Fiends in the Furrows is an innovative new film festival, bringing together a team with a variety of expertise, to produce an event with an exciting programme and commitment to accessibility. Horror film has strong audience appeal and Fiends in the Furrows offers a fresh take on the genre. The festival offers a new experience to audiences in Scotland, and we look forward to exploring the full programme when its announced.”
Festival organisers are planning to invite film makers and special guests and will be working with local businesses to supply food, drink and folk horror-related merchandise, including a collaboration with local Leith independent bookshop Argonaut Books.
All venues are accessible and films will be subtitled in English to assist D/deaf and hard of hearing film audiences. Tickets will be on a sliding scale from £6 – £10, with a limited number of full festival passes available.
For tickets and full programme:
Fiends in the Furrows is supported by Screen Scotland.
