Film and TV news round-up: Wildlife, Stella, and more

Lights, camera, action as Peter Ranscombe shares the latest film and television news.

A SCOTTISH filmmaker has won the on-screen talent pitching contest at the Wildscreen international wildlife film festival.

Libby Penman teamed up with renowned filmmaker Doug Allan to pitch the idea of exploring the wildlife in Fife.

“This is an environmental nature investigation with a difference because having on screen ‘locals-lifetimes-apart’ will supply a lot of banter, but also the sort of open and honest conversations around climate and our place as filmmakers in the natural world – looking back and moving forward – that we’ve never had on TV before.”

“I live and breathe filmmaking, so it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to be working with a local legend like Doug Allan on this project – we really hope we can bring the idea to life next year.”

Returning to Cinderella’s roots

A movie set and filmed in Scotland has won the best drama award at the Melech Tel-Aviv international film festival.

Stella, inspired by the Cinderella fairytale, tells the story of a German Jewish refugee working in a stately home that belongs to aristocratic supporters of fascist leader Oswald Mosely.]

Set in 1937 and filmed at Galloway House, the movie was written and directed by Wigtown-based author Jessica Fox, whose randparents were Holocaust survivors.

“I never liked the story of Cinderella – her fairy godmother, the glass slippers or the fuss of the ball – until I heard the older folk versions; in these stories, Cinderella has no magical transformation – instead, she flees her kingdom to find safety in another,” explained Fox.

Hitting the high notes

A song recorded by pupils at Ardnamurchan high school has been broadcast on an online Basque television channel.

Head teacher Christopher Millar-Craig said: “Our French teacher, Sarah Druon, was highlighting minority languages with our pupils and they recorded a song sung in Basque to celebrate the ‘European Day of Languages’.

“The performance was filmed, and the video sent to some of the media in the Basque country to get some feedback for the pupils of Ardnamurchan.”

Basque Radio interviewed Druon and played the song, as well as showing the video during the Hitzokei programme on its ETB1 online channel at https://www.eitb.eus/eu/nahieran/saioak/hitzokei/2022-11-09/osoa/8329/208284/ (after two adverts)

Read more news and reviews on Scottish Field’s culture pages.

Plus, don’t miss Grant Stott’s credo in the December issue of Scottish Field magazine.