2023 Special Events and Guests

Our guest this year is Hassan Nazer, a British-Iranian writer/director based in Aberdeen. His film Winners, which will be our gala screening on Friday 24th February is the UK entry in the Best Foreign Language category at the Oscars.

Hassan arrived in Scotland as a refugee in 2000. After securing indefinite leave to remain in the UK, he went on to study film at the University of Aberdeen and within a few years was self-funding his own films from his base in the city.

Winners is Hassan's first feature with support from the UK industry and has won the Audience Award at Edinburgh, Best UK film at Raindance and Best Discovery Film award at BIFA in 2022. Hassan grew up watching lead actor Reza Naaji and dreamt that one day he would work with reza one day. Winners is a tribute to all Iranian artists and celebrates their work. Hassan's passion for film shiness through, indeed parts of the film are semi- autobiographical. He dedicates the film to Iranian cinema in as he says, a feel-good way where Slumdog Millionaire meets Cinema Paradiso!

Winners – Friday 24th February 9pm

Sarah Beddington is an award-winning British artist and filmmaker whose films, and work in other media, revolve around a sense of place and belonging. Landscape and the role of memory in unresolved histories are also important elements in her work. Her films, paintings, drawings and installations have been shown extensively at international film festivals and biennales, as well as in museums and galleries, and are in multiple public and private collections including Arts Council England.

Sarah's first feature documentary, Fadia's Tree, was BIFA-nominated and won an Amnesty International award for Best Feature and was released in cinemas across the UK in 2022. Sarah is currently working on her second feature which focuses on upland farmers in the Lake District at a pivotal time of change.

Fadia's Tree – Saturday 25th February 11am

Saturday 25th February 2pm - Theatre By The Lake

Our annual celebration of local filmmaking. A selection of short films in the running for one of our prestigious Osprey Short film awards, including an audience award voted for by you.

There'll be more information on the films once the judges have made their selection.