Cinescapes is a touring film festival founded produced by Cinetopia and the Edinburgh Cine Club. It’s main goal is to use local landscapes as the backdrop for local film screenings of films connected to thoes local areas. This is also complemented by offerings of food & drinks which support local businesses and suppliers as well as additionally produced content such as interviews, archive footage and online content. From Trainspotting in Leith, Under the Skin in Glasgow and The Illusionist in Edinburgh, the 1st edition of the festival has been running over the Summer/Autumn of 2021 with the support of BFI, Filmhub Scotland and Screen Scotland. During this period, Cinescapes was brought on to support ReDrawing Edinburgh, a local community archive film supported by Edinburgh City Council to celebrate the centenary of the redrawing of Edinburgh’s boundaries to incorporate the Burgh of Leith in the north and the Midlothian parishes of Cramond, Corstorphine, Colinton, and Liberton to the west and south of the city. This film was screened on local landmarks in each of these locations to involve the local communities who supported and are involved within this film.

Initially, I was involved as a event volunteer for their first screenings of Trainspotting and T2 in Leith. This took place at the local Campervan Brewery with local food trucks and gin supplier Lind & Lime Gin included. Having previous experience of ushering and managing events entry, I was heavily involved with checking in audiences, providing pre-paid vouchers and answering any of their questions related to the event. The event itself was on a particularly wet day which included flash flooding in some parts of the country but overall, for thoes who stuck out in the rain, the event was an amazing experience.

After this, I was brought on in a professional capacity to support the running of their ReDrawing Edinburgh screenings. These took place in Cramond, Colinton, Liberton and in Leith and involved 2-3 screenings of the film from 8pm to 9.30pm each evening. My main role was more of the practical ushering in checking guests into events, supporting Covid-19 procedures and any set-up & break-down which the events required. This was a really great experience to be apart of. I have always had an interest with archive film and, when speaking to audience, this film made a great connection and reminded them of their childhoods, their pasts and their history within the community.

I’m very excited to be volunteering again for Cinescapes for their Edinburgh screening of The illusionist and I look forward to all of their future events.