Byre Theatre, St Andrews
14th till 16th April
Sands is back and, for those spontaneous folk, the festival starts with a surprise screening: the film will be revealed the moment they press ‘play’!Â
One of the most interesting looking films on the programme is My Love Affair with Marriage, which is part musical, all animation. Monsters and Men uses the bystanders to a police killing of a Black man to tell the story of ‘how violence can serve as a catalyst rather than a climax’ and is followed by a Q&A with director Reinaldo Marcus Green.Â
How to Save a Dead Friend follows Russian teenager Marusya, who meets friend Kimi at just the right time in their life: this is filmed over 12 years and highlights the deep fluctuations of youth, ‘muzzled by a violent and autocratic regime’.
Another festival highlight is a session with Joe Russo and Donald Mustard (a creator and director of Fortnite) who are hosting a public discussion about the importance of storytelling and gaming. Cultures of Care is a panel covering what goes on behind the scenes for inclusion, equality, and sustainability, such as the use of intimacy coordinators and how this is shaping the film industry.
There’s an exploration, too, of how to tell stories in our modern age where everyone creates content.Â
