Martin Morrison’s What Do Busy People Do All Day?
You’ll be able to say, ‘I know how vibrant Scottish film making is.’
Rachel Bevan Baker’s the Green Man Of
Scotland-based or trained filmmakers; where they're coming from. their films and how to see them. and where they're going. We have also included a glossary of organisations and schemes that have nurtured these talents — and to them many thanks for their assistance in putting together this feature.
Of course. 50 names is just the tip of the iceberg; there are many. many hard—working filmmakers coming out of Scotland. For every individual we include here. ten more go unrecognised. For this we apologise in advance. but also take this as evidence of the sheer quantity as well as quality of filmmaking in this country. W"d need a IOU—page supplement to do them all justice. So once you‘ve checked out the work of the filmmakers included here. hunt out others at festivals. in Scotland's cinemas and on those late night television slots.
Note: Assume all films referred to are shorts unless otherwise stated as features. We have used the following acronyms: Cameo Cinema Jim Poole Short Film Award (JPSFA). Edinburgh College Of Art (ECA). Edinburgh International Film Festival (ElFF). Film and Video Access Centre (FVA). Glasgow School Of Art (GSA). Digital Video (DV ).
MARK ASH, WRITER/DIRECTOR Background Due to
graduate this year from Napier UniverSity in photography, film and televiSion. Ash made his filmmaking debut in 1999 with his one-minute short Haunted House. Watching. a five-minute short about domestic Violence. followed swiftly after and has now been shortlisted for the Cameo Cinema's JPSFA. Ash has just completed his graduation film The Wannabe.
Influences The realism of Mike Leigh. science-fiction of Bladerunner See Watching
Where Cameo. Edinbrugh, 29 April
RACHEL BEVAN BAKER, AN MATION DIRECTOR
Background Studied illustration/animation at GSA. animation at the Royal College. London graduating in 1995 with the Celtic folklore
4 film Selkie Dancing. Her next film was Beelines for Channel 4. screened at the Museum Of The
f?”
' Moving Image. London where Baker
was animator-in-residence. Last year she made The Green Man Of
. Knowledge for S4C. part of
international co-production series Animated Tales Of The World (aired on television in 80 countries). Having secured a Creative Scotland award. Baker is currently making Beach Animations (working title). twelve “impressionistic little films' and is also working part time on an opera,The Seer, written by her father. Influences Animators Yuri Norstein (Russian) and Caroline Leaf (Canadian), St Ives painters Ben and Winifred Nicholson
See Beach Animations. The Seer Where Art.TM exhibition, Inverness. September; Dingwall Town Hall, 14 & 15 September
DAVID PAUL BAKER,
ACTOR/WRITER/DIRECTOR
Background Baker spent ten years acting in low-budget features and shorts in London. before returning to Scotland to write. direct and star in his own play. Pasty Faces. This became his first feature. made with the help of his mother and sister. A comedy about a pair of out- of-work Glaswegian actors set in Scotland. Los Angeles and Las Vegas. it's different from the more experimental films Baker would love to make.
Influences Martin Scorsese. Steven Soderbergh, Jonathan Demme
See Pasty Faces
Where UK-wide cinemas. May; Info: wwwpastyfacescom
ANWIN BEIER, ANIMATOR Background Beier graduated from the ECA in 1997 With the film Untemiegs ('On the road') and went on to complete a Masters.
graduating in 1998 With the shod
Nightlife (Winner of the Royal TeleVISIon
Society's Best Student Animation award). Beier then directed a UNICEF video. worked on Bob ‘Roobarb And
Custard' Godfrey's Norman some and
The Green Man Of Knowledge for Rachel Bevan Baker. Her latest is a Cineworks/Channel 4-funded film.
i Nightwindows. which features an
original soundtrack by cult American composer John Zorn.
Influences film soundtracks. John Zorn. Edward Hopper
See Nightwindows
Where EIFF. August; Channel 4 later this year
BECKY BRAZIL, WRITER/DIRECTOR Background Although Brazil has completed various filmmaking courses over the years. she cites her work on various mates' low (or no) budget films as her real training ground. Having worked for the EIFF and the Mark Cousins-hosted interview series Scene By Scene for BBC Scotland. Brazil is currently completing her debut. the Edinburgh-shot short Best Man for Cineworks. It features a great performance from young rising talent Leeanne Hogg.
Influences Her filmmaking mates
: See Best Man
Where EIFF. August
DAVID CAIRNS, WRITER/DIRECTOR
' Background Cairns studied film at ECA where he now teaches. While there. he made several shorts including The Three Hunchbacks. a Fuji Film Competition winner. He has also made the First Reels film Bottle Imp. as well as Clarimonde and ls/e Of Voices. Most recently, he directed the Tartan ShOrt Cry For Bobo. a fantasy vision of clowns as a persecuted minority. Cairns is currently working on a feature. Blood Relative. Influences Silent comedy. SOs horror films. European arthouse films See Cry For Bobo Where EIFF. August
EMMA DAVIE, DOCUMENTARY-MAKER
I - Background From working in theatre. Davie moved onto low budget films. making the First Reels Seaview, V
26 Apr-10 May 2001 THE LIST 17