Lichts, camera, action

It's a case of "haud gaun" for more than 20 north-east groups who are working to fine-tune their entries for the first Doric Film Festival as the deadline nears.

Schools, individuals and community groups have until May 31 to finalise their films for the project, which was launched earlier this year by Scots Radio. The films are required to be no more than five minutes' long with an original script in Doric. The overriding theme is "Fit the North East Means Tae Me". The competition is supported by the North East Scots Language Board, Aberdeenshire Council, the Robert Gordon University and the Elphinstone Institute.

Frieda Morrison, broadcaster, singer-songwriter and director of Scots Radio and the Doric Film Festival, is delighted with the uptake and enthusiasm around the new event that puts Doric in the limelight.

Scots Radio was established in 2013, releasing monthly one-hour episodes and regular quality video content. It has been nominated three times for an excellence award at the Celtic Media Festival.

Frieda said: "There's been a fantastic reaction and entry tae the Doric Film Festival throughout the area. Individuals and groups are working hard to complete their films afore the deadline at the end of this month. Wi nine schools, nine community groups an eight registered individuals, the race is on to get the final bits o editing finished."

Participants need not be film-making experts as the key skills were taught at training sessions across the north-east. They covered pre-production, camera operation, effective audio capture, scriptwriting, storyboarding and basic editing and post-production. Entrants fell under three categories – schools, community groups and individuals – with a £500 prize in each category.

Frieda is proud to see the first ever film festival in Doric coming to fruition. She added: "The Gaelic Film Festival has been enjoying success for 11 years and there’s ample media support for film creativity in English. So Scots Radio wished to encourage storytelling in Doric. It’s aboot self-expression – feeling free to speak in yir ain language on the big screen."

The awards ceremony will be held on July 2 at the Belmont Cinema, Aberdeen, in an Oscars-type setting, where the short-listed films will be screened before the winners of each category are announced. Participants are encouraged to dress in film-star attire or as film characters.

"So the cinema has been booked and the judges are ready," said Frieda. "We're looking forrit tae a fun ivint wi classic entries."

Acclaimed north-east film-maker Jon S Baird, who wrote and directed the films Filth, and Stan and Ollie, threw his weight behind the project earlier this year.

Find out more at doricfilmfestival.com or scotsradio.com.

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