SI-FAN Film Festival: Edinburgh

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SI-FAN Film Festival returns to Edinburgh from 28th April to 4th May bringing the most exciting genre feature and short films on the film festival circuit to Scottish audiences.

About SI-FAN Film Festival: Edinburgh

Listed Under Film Events / Nights Out Events

We are delighted to announce the programme for Scotland’s emerging fantastical genre festival; SI-FAN (Scottish International Fantastic Arts Network) to Edinburgh 28th April -4th May.

SI-FAN is the sister festival to the BAFTA and BIFA affiliated comedy festival Short Com.
In what is our second full edition, we are delighted with our programme of film events taking place between the Everyman Cinema, Edinburgh’s hidden gem the Edinburgh Cinema and Video Society and the former RAF nuclear bunker, the Barnton Bunker.

We are super pleased with the programme and lists of events we've put together. Our feature line-up is a real testament to the graft of DIY no-low budget genre filmmaking all making their Scottish premieres. We have over 50 short films across the genre sphere celebrating the best in Scottish filmmaking talent and international shorts, which have featured at some of the biggest most coveted festivals around the world.

We open the festival with a bloody ripping roar in the shape of 2025's answer to Hundreds of Beavers. The B-movie comedy-horror-musical; Chainsaws Were Singing.

Winner of the Best Horror Picture at Fantastic Fest, CWS has to be one of Estonia’s finest exports to date. The film took ten years to make and blends the chainsaw wielding frenzy of Texas Chainsaw Massacre with the buffoonery of Monty Python’s Holy Grail. (And a little Les Miserable, why not).

The following eve we take a ride through Toronto’s underbelly in Michael Pierro’s debut Self Driver

Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he'll be compelled to do to make it.

Winner of the Best Canadian feature at Fantasia Film Festival. Self Driver is an absolute thrill ride in this debut feature film that is helmed by an impressive Nathanael Chadwick at the wheel that shines a light on the precarious nature of the gig economy and faceless employers. Pierro masters the same tension as Locke and Collateral without the luxuries.

Our feature premiere trilogy is completed by the truly ‘batty’
Vampire Zombies... From Space!

From the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet; turning the residents of the small town of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies! A motley crew consisting of a grizzled detective, a skeptical rookie cop, a chain-smoking greaser, and a determined young woman band together to save the world from — (see title).

This Mel Brooks inspired creature (and creature) feature is a delightful throwback to the over the top, daft driven comedies of yesteryear by director Michael Statsko. With a good slice of gore to add for horror quenchers. An unapologetic brainless bat shit comedy on a shoestring budget that surpasses most comedies in the modern era.

On the first of May. We screen our Scottish Shorts Select in competition at the Everyman. We’re delighted to see such a healthy scene and hope to help the rising talent of Scottish based filmmakers. The winner of the competition will win an in kind kit-hire from our sponsors No Drama worth £1500

On the 3rd of May we migrate to the Edinburgh Cine and Video Society for a full blooded day of short film madness. Featuring our Animation Select programme; Rising Voices another showcase of short films made in Scotland by emerging filmmaking talent, Let Me Out, our themed international block, Grand Jury Select, our international in competition line-up and ending the night on a high with our comedy block. Last Laughs.

Tickets for these screenings are on a pay what you want or can. With half the proceeds going to the society.

The festival concludes at the Barnton Bunker on the 4th May. We kick off the day with Imaginate, our family friendly screening a screening of Scottish made short animations to inspire young creative minds. Followed by May The 4th Be With You. Our secret double bill screenings of space adventure features. Bring your space suit as we will have a prize for the person with the best costume! (Prize TBA).

There’ll be a BBQ (well, weather permitting) refreshments as we toast the festival with views over the Forth. (Should have probably called it May The Forth Be With You)

Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.

All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.

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