Projects in genres: Scottish

Synopsis

Filmed over seven years in England and the United States, Dance of Identity is an intimate, powerful portrait of love, resilience, and family against the backdrop of a global culture war. The documentary follows Sophie, a British trans woman and amateur ballet dancer, and her partner Sandi, as they build a life together. From Sophie’s triumphant public ballet performances to the couple’s fairytale wedding and the high-stakes birth of their child, their personal joys constantly clash with a shifting political landscape. As politicians and media headlines weaponise trans existence, the couple faces rising hostility, social media attacks, and legal threats to Sophie’s fundamental rights. Yet, through nine years of waiting for gender-affirming healthcare and navigating bureaucratic hurdles, theirs is a story of defiant hope. Dance of Identity reveals the profound impact of political rhetoric on the private sanctuary of a family, ultimately celebrating the triumph of love over systemic adversity.

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A famous Black actor accepts a role in a lucrative government film, but when he learns he’s starring in a welcome video for a British Internment camp, he is confronted by the devastating cost of his political indifference.

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When meticulous, career-obsessed Cameron (James Rottger) discovers his aimless flatmate Eilidh (Elle Watson) is pregnant after their drunken one-night stand, both assume there is an obvious way out. But when Eilidh finds she cannot go through with the termination, the pair are forced into an awkward, absurd and increasingly intimate attempt at preparing for parenthood. As they stumble into something that looks suspiciously like a relationship, they begin to question the lives they thought they wanted and what they really mean to each other.

Synopsis

Bel was a Kenyan-Scottish woman who dreamt of singing to the whole world. A gifted musician, singer, and writer, she performed under the stage name Heir of the Cursed and in 2021 was on the absolute cusp of wider fame. But just as the world was finally about to discover her name, Bel took her own life, leaving behind poignant video diaries and a mobile phone full of amazing, unreleased songs. She was a brilliant artist fighting to be heard, yet she remains largely unknown today. Her untimely death and a small but beautiful body of work form her legacy now. Much like the legendary musician Nick Drake who also died young, the power and mystery of Bel’s music lies within the heavy pathos of her life's sudden end. Whatever deep internal struggles led to her tragic death were also at the very heart of what powered her mesmerising art. This documentary tells the story of an artist on the edge of stardom, and her sister Leah’s fierce determination to fulfil Bel's dream: releasing her final record and sharing her with the world. Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2026 - Closing Night Film - World premiere

Synopsis

In a near future in rural Britain, Mustafa cares for his deaf sister, Amna, spending their days together in their hidden, isolated home. One morning, anti-immigration vigilantes descend, tearing them apart and leaving each to navigate fear, loss, and the quiet brutality of a world shaped by far-right policies. Amna escapes and searches for her brother, moving through the fields with determination, only to witness a horrific event. A meditation on family, the unbreakable ties between siblings, and the devastating cycles of violence that fracture lives. Against the backdrop of systemic oppression, the film explores how hate divides families, how love endures, and how the human heart persists even in the face of destruction.

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Angela is living a life devoted to everyone but herself. Caught between revolving identities, she has stepped into roles that generations of women before her have occupied. Disconnected from her husband, Malcolm, and struggling to articulate her dissatisfaction, she leaves home the night before her family is set to attend a wedding, and finds herself confronted by the silence that has stretched between them.

Synopsis

Rob Beaton has been weaving tartan and tweed in the Scottish Borders since he was 14. Now 84, he is Scotland's oldest and longest-serving mill worker, operating 100-year-old traditional shuttle looms. With no apprentice to carry on his craft, the mill where he has worked for over four decades may soon be forced to close. But elsewhere in Scotland, a different story is unfolding. At another mill in Highland Perthshire, a young apprentice is learning the trade, and the ancient rhythms of the looms are being passed to a new generation. Once, Scotland's textile industry employed nearly 75% of the population. Today, that figure stands at just 0.2%. Against the backdrop of that decline, the stories of these two mills paint a portrait of an industry at a crossroads. Through his film, Callum McCulloch-Nowlan celebrates the workers, machines, and spaces of Scotland's weaving tradition, while exploring the urgency of preserving a disappearing craft.

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Explores the secret life of the filmmaker's father, a former academic and English tutor, and the mystery of why he gambled eye-watering sums of cash, unbeknown to his family.

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In a battle against time and technology, can Britain's greatest living folklorist find a home for his vast archive of irreplaceable audiovisual material? Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - World premiere

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In the grey rhythms of a 1990s British secondary school, a student begins to sense a discomfort that has no name, just a feeling that the role they’re playing doesn’t quite fit. Through a missing pair of joggers, an unexpected line from Macbeth, and the quiet rituals of uniforms, registers, and school corridors, this film traces the first flickers of identity forming - not through revelation, but recognition.

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Edinburgh has a developed network of greenways. One key 60 year old route, The Roseburn Path, is under threat of being significantly transformed into a Tramway. The documentary explores the history, development, social and wellbeing benefits for residents of the path and contrasts the competing needs of development and connectivity.

Synopsis

1810. Two governesses embark on their dream of opening a school for girls on the edge of Scotland’s capital, their chance of an independent life is threatened by the arrival of a new pupil, an orphan, and her aristocratic grandmother. As the pressures of class, race and deeply suppressed emotion build at Drumsheugh boarding school, a series of tragically avoidable events lead to the telling of one irreversible lie. At a time of great social conformity – accused of lesbianism – the resulting scandal leaves the teachers fighting for their livelihoods. Based on the book 'Scotch Verdict: The Real-Life Story That Inspired 'The Children's Hour'' by Lillian Faderman. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Panorama - World premiere