La Vie est belle is a 1987 musical comedy directed by Mwezé Ngangura and Benoît Lamy. The film revolves around the vibrant music scene of Kinshasa and tells the rags-to-riches story of a poor rural musician played by legendary Congolese musician, Papa Wemba, the “King of Rumba Rock”, who seeks fame in the big city. The film was considered a major turning point in film production in the DRC with its more artistic approach. Unlike many African films of the time that concerned themselves with the effects of colonialism, La vie est belle celebrates Congolese culture, music and the lives of Kinshasans. The film score features Congolese music from artists Tshala Muana, Klody, and Zaiko Langa Langa, a Congolese soukous band co-founded by Papa Wemba.

This screening will be followed by a 15-minute pre-recorded Q&A. A street in downtown Warsaw is the focus of this witty and personal portrait of Poland. Arjun Talwar immigrated here a decade ago, but still has trouble fitting in. “Wolf Street” – or “Ulica Wilcza” – hasn’t made it easy for him. In an attempt to accelerate his integration, the director begins filming his neighbours, testing his relationships with them, while seeking ways to overcome his own alienation. With the help of his friend Mo, another immigrant-turned-filmmaker, Arjun uncovers the hidden mysteries of the street, revealing a web of charming characters. He finds others like himself, people who live between past and present, between an imagined homeland and a real one. The street, like an invisible thread, connects them all, offering its solace against the melancholy of everyday life. From within its kilometre-long confines, an image of modern Europe forms, exposing a kaleidoscope of contradictions and anxieties. The film throws stereotypes to the wind, as it tries to navigate the fictitious boundaries between neighbours. Poland, known for being homogenous, and unwelcoming, is faced with a mirror, held up by a foreigner-filmmaker.

A MilkTea x ESEA Creatives community preview of Ugo Bienvenu's ARCO. A 10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril. As Arco develops a friendship with a young girl named Iris, they band together and, along with her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, set out on a quest to get Arco home. A remarkable journey through time, ARCO is a dazzling animated adventure full of hope, friendship and magic. Join us for the MilkTea community preview of ARCO on Saturday 14 March at Cameo Picturehouse: Doors open at 2:00PM Film starts at 2:15PM We'll also be hosting a free post-screening creative workshop at Cameo, designed to spark creativity across our community. Families and children are especially encouraged to join, but the workshop is open to all ages who want to take part. Please note: the workshop tickets are only available to those who have booked tickets for the screening. Workshop starts at 3:50PM Workshop ends at 4:50PM

We will open the Catalan Film Festival in true CinemaAttic style, with films, food, drinks, and a performance by the incredible human towers of the Colla Castellera. The opening event is a proud celebration of Catalan culture and is sure to be an evening to remember! This year’s short film programme will bring us from the tense drama of The Pyre, to the tender queer romance of Born at Night, and the experimentation of Tramuntana. Snippets sees the return of festival favourite and Cannes Palme d’Or winning director Juanjo Giménez to Scottish screens. Our Room is a short by CFF11 guest Jaume Claret Muxart (Strange River) – see it here before meeting him later in the festival for a Q and A! Short film has always been an incredibly important part of the Catalan Film Festival, and this year’s offering continues to show the incredible quality of the work coming from the region.

Leith Kino is delighted to present Felipe Bustos Sierra's Everybody to Kenmure Street, in a subtitled screening which we are presenting with Anti Raids Edinburgh. On 13th May 2021, the Home Office staged a dawn raid on Kenmure Street in Pollokshields - an area renowned for its diversity - on Eid al-Fitr. Thanks to the quick wittedness of a passer by, the immigration van was delayed, allowing time for hundreds of people to gather to protest the deportation of their neighbours. Pieced together from numerous video footage from the day and eye-witness accounts, this astonishing documentary is a love letter to the power of peaceful protest and community solidarity. Tickets cost £6 and we have allocated handful of free tickets for those not in a position to pay. Please support your local Leith Kino! Leith Kino Access Information - English subtitles will be onscreen for every screening, including descriptive captions where possible. - The screening room is on ground level and is wheelchair accessible from the Leith Depot bar with flexible seating to accomodate specific requirements. - There are accessible toilets in both the screening room and the bar. Leith Depot is well-served by public transport. It's a short walk from the Foot of the Walk tram stop and there is a bus stop outside the venue for services: 7, 14, 16, 25, and 49

HippFest is Scotland’s first and only festival of silent film with live music, centred in and inspired by Scotland’s first and oldest cinema. Featuring exceptional screenings, commissions, workshops, community events and touring. Renowned for its warm welcome and inclusive atmosphere, HippFest attracts a broad audience of cinema-goers, music lovers, and industry professionals, cultivating an international community with an adventurous appetite for extraordinary cinema.

Sarah Bernhardt is at the height of her fame. An icon of her time and the world’s first star, the actress is also a passionate, free-spirited and modern woman who defies conventions. Discover the woman behind the legend.

At a Montréal public grade school, Bachir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant, is hired to replace an elementary school teacher who died tragically. While helping his students deal with their trauma, his own recent loss is revealed. Awards (Canadian Oscars) include: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor. Screening as part of the Mois de la Francophonie 2026

Join us at Leith Kino as we screen the unhinged time-loop comedy River (2023), directed by Junta Yamaguchi, one of the most exciting new directors within Japanese comedy filmmaking. Set within a traditional inn over in Kyoto, River follows its guests and workers as they try to figure out ways of escaping a sudden, unexplained time-loop which resets everything every two minutes. Simultaneously devious and heartfelt, as well as endlessly inventive, don't miss out on this true gem of modern Japanese comedy! Tickets cost £6 and we have allocated handful of free tickets for those not in a position to pay. Please support your local Leith Kino! Leith Kino Access Information - English subtitles will be onscreen for every screening, including descriptive captions where possible. - The screening room is on ground level and is wheelchair accessible from the Leith Depot bar with flexible seating to accomodate specific requirements. - There are accessible toilets in both the screening room and the bar. Leith Depot is well-served by public transport. It's a short walk from the Foot of the Walk tram stop and there is a bus stop outside the venue for services: 7, 14, 16, 25, and 49

Cinetopia in collaboration with the Edinburgh Film Guild are proud to present this newly composed original score by Edinburgh-based multi-instrumentalist Dan Abrahams and French drummer Phillipe Boudot. On the treeless, windswept islet of Bannec off the Breton coast, four seaweed harvesters set up camp for the season, smoke billowing from their pyres of burning algae. Trouble arises when a fight between Ambroise and Jean-Marie over a broken wine bottle results in injury to the young Ambroise, leading to simmering tensions and distrust… When Ambroise’s condition worsens, Jean-Marie discovers him, delirious and feverish, and decides to take him to nearby Ouessant island, across the fog-laden sea, to reach a doctor. Shot in a documentary-style, using local non-actors, Jean Epstein’s camera reveals an unforgiving, isolated environment where men live a hard, rudimentary existence of toil against the sea and the elements. Through experimental techniques, Epstein frames the landscape, the sky, and the waters in a highly poetic visual style, rich in atmosphere, and a dual sense of menace and beauty. 6pm – Apéro hour in the Salon 7pm – Brief introduction from Edinburgh Film Guild 7:05pm - Film screening with live accompaniment 8:15pm – Conversations continue back in the Salon until 10pm Please note: drinks can be purchased at our pop-up bar (cash or card), but are not included in the ticket price and are only allowed in the Salon space before and after the film. Complementary nibbles available on a first-come basis from 6pm.