We’re excited to announce our in-competition programme for our 16th edition! The 2026 ESFF opens on Friday 6th November Filmhouse Edinburgh and continues until 21st November at the Filmhouse and Summerhall. With 7 nights of in competition short films competing for our 2026 awards, ranging from Chinese neo-noir to Finnish stop motion and from Kurdish documentary to Australian horror, Q and As, panel discussions and networking events. Tickets coming soon!

Cinetopia DOC presents Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché as part of Transmission: Youth Across Generations, a multi-event programme exploring how youth culture has shaped identity, belonging and collective memory in Britain from the 1980s to the present. As the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band - X-Ray Spex - Poly Styrene was a blazing voice of rebellion in the chaos and upheaval of 1970s Britain - singing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding with a rare prescience and a female perspective. As an Anglo-Somali punk musician, Poly Styrene was also a big influence on the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements, inspiring later artists such as Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney and Neneh Cherry. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Paul Sng, and preceded by Patch It Up! A punk-inspired, clothes customisation workshop (tickets booked separately for workshop).- https://www.filmhouse.org.uk/movie/patch-it-up-a-punk-inspired-clothes-customisation-workshop/

On October 1, join CIFRA for a free Zoom Meetup with video artist Theo Eshetu and curator David Elliott. Together, we’ll talk about how an artwork can begin without a fully formed idea — and how experimentation, montage, personal archives, found footage, sound and editing can lead the work somewhere unexpected. Whether you’re stuck with a project, starting out in video art, or simply curious about how ideas emerge through making, bring your questions and join the conversation. TURNING UNCERTAINTY INTO ART October 1 · 6 PM CEST / 12 PM ET · Zoom

This Autumn, Glasgow Women's Library is delighted to present Collections On Camera: a series of film screenings and activities celebrating feminist cinema related to our collections. From much-beloved classics of DIY filmmaking to captivating documentaries, join us to celebrate women’s stories of joy and resilience. A classic of 1990s New Queer Cinema, Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman follows a young Black lesbian filmmaker (Dunye) as she uncovers the story of Fae Richards, an overlooked Black actress from 1930s’ Hollywood. Thoughtful and witty, this film showcases the importance of uncovering forgotten stories. Delve deeper into archival mysteries of The Watermelon Woman and beyond through an introduction from artist and writer Shola von Reinhold. Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery.

🇪🇸🍿 Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival is back in Scotland for its 13th edition this autumn! 💃🏽 Opening weekend kicks off this Thursday, 1st October, so join us in celebrating the joy of being together at the big screen. 🎟️ Don't miss our grand opening with… 01/10 Lust for Life (2026) 18:15 @ Filmhouse, joined by producer Rodrigo Espinel 02/10 Band Together (2025) 18:15 @ VUE OMNiCentre, joined by Scottish-Spanish actor Judith Fernández.

The 13th Edition of the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, screening at Filmhouse, French Institute and Vue Omni in Edinburgh, and touring across Tranent, Stirling, Ayr and Glasgow

The Scottish Youth Film Festival is back for a weekend of cinema, connection and celebration of Scotland's best filmmakers! Join us for this FREE event on the 2 & 3 October at Prestwick Academy for your chance to dive into the world of film and TV. Book your FREE ticket for this year's festival and workshops at www.scottishyouthfilmfestival.co.uk *Please note - you MUST book a General Admission ticket as well as your desired workshop ticket separately* Fri 2 & Sat 3 Oct 2026 Prestwick Academy, KA9 2LB Please note this festival is only open to people aged between 12-26.

A graceful, penetrating study of a couple’s deteriorating marriage, set against the backdrop of a small Mediterranean fishing village. La Pointe Courte is both a stylized depiction of the couple’s complicated relationship and a documentary-like look at the daily lives of the villagers. “A stunningly beautiful and accomplished first film,” which has also achieved a cult status as “the first film of the nouvelle vague.” (G. Vincendeau)

An opera night on a giant screen: Verdi’s Macbeth comes to screens! Each autumn, Opéra en direct becomes an unmissable event for opera lovers and for those seeking powerful emotions. This year, Macbeth takes centre stage: the first Shakespeare adaptation set to music by Verdi, and perhaps the darkest. It follows the downfall of a power-hungry couple, set to a score of striking dramatic intensity. Far from traditional romantic love stories, Verdi focuses here on psychological depth and a fantastical atmosphere. The voice becomes theatre: that of Lady Macbeth, rough and relentless, shakes the conventions of bel canto. Filmed in Rouen, this opera will be broadcast live on big screen, in partnership with France Télévisions. A unique opportunity to experience, together, a great evening of opera, as if you were there. Formed in 2024 from the merger of the Regional Orchestra of Normandy and the Opéra de Rouen Normandie Orchestra, this 58-member ensemble is deeply rooted in its region and open to all repertoires, from baroque to contemporary music. Based in Rouen and Mondeville, it performs over a hundred concerts across Normandy each year, maintaining a strong commitment to artistic excellence in all formats. Actively engaged with local communities, it also leads numerous outreach initiatives, bringing music to diverse audiences. In Italian with French subtitles

Charles Burnett’s follow up to his debut, Killer of Sheep, explores Black working class life in 80’s LA. Pierce Mundy lives at home with his parents, working at their dry cleaning business, and caring for his folks. His brother on the other hand is a lawyer, set to marry into an upper middle-class Black family. Pierce's friend Soldier is once again released from prison, and with even lower prospects than Pierce because of his reputation. The two move about town with no grand plans, to the disappointment of Pierce's family. Pierce is increasingly conflicted between the expectations of his parents and his own tenacity. Having never earned a wider release due to distributors' fear of low sales, My Brother's Wedding (1983) is finally here to stay. A newly restored cut with frame-by-frame image repairs, color correction and digital mastering has promised new life to Burnett's funny and moving film. This film will be presented with descriptive subtitles.