Fifth Sands International Film Festival to Return to Byre Theatre

The Sands International Film Festival will take place in St Andrews from April 17 to 19, marking its fifth edition. The event — founded by the independent studio AGBO — is to be produced by the University of St Andrews and hosted at the Byre Theatre. 

The festival will feature a programme of film screenings, panel discussions, and live events. One of the headline sessions, An Afternoon with Craig Armstrong, will include a conversation between composer Craig Armstrong and broadcaster Edith Bowman, alongside live performances by student musicians. 

Joe Russo, co-founder of the festival, will take part in a discussion on filmmaking and industry developments. Opening events will focus on the role of AI, social media, and other technologies in shaping creative work. Russo said to the publication Deadline: “As we reach our fifth edition, I’m struck by the sense of intention, the care in programming, and the generosity of the artists. I’m excited to see where the conversations lead from here.”

Filmmaker Charlie Kaufman is scheduled to appear in a discussion titled Moving Pictures: The Poetry of Cinema and Vice Versa, alongside poet Eva H.D. The session will explore connections between film and poetry. Film theorist Laura Mulvey will introduce a screening of her 1982 film Crystal Gazing, followed by a question-and-answer session with University Professor Glyn Davis.

The festival will also host its “This Much I Know…” series, which brings together industry professionals to discuss current practices in filmmaking and media. Participants include the founder and CEO of Cinetic, John Sloss, AGBO Chief Creative Officer, Angela Russo-Otstot, and production designer James Price.

The programme includes several film screenings, such as Tony Benna’s documentary André Is an Idiot, Cutting Through Rocks by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, and Laundry (Uhlanjulolo) by Zamo Mkhwanazi. The festival will close with Rohan Kanawade’s Cactus Pears. 

Festival Director Ania Trzebiatowska said, “Sands is a celebration of storytelling and its power to bring people into shared emotional and imaginative spaces, creating moments of connection where films become catalysts for conversation, understanding, and inspiration”, as published in Deadline.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons