In a departure from the usual programming, the Film-Authority embarks on a journey fraught with peril and danger; we’re getting our Jonathan Harker on and heading up north to tangle with vampires at the first ever Festival of Darkness, which takes place this weekend (Oct 21-23) and next weekend in deepest, darkest Aberdeenshire.
Celebrating the links between Dracula and North-East Scotland, the Festival of Darkness takes chimes with the 125’s anniversary of Bram Stoker’s original novel, and a full century since the 1922 film version of Nosferatu. So I’m packing some garlic, holy water and a few crucifixes, and hopefully that reluctant coachman won’t be afraid to travel the last part of the journey as the Carpathian wolves howl around us. Movies are movies, but vampire movies in a spooky Gothic setting are even better, and this festival doubles down on creepiness with a plethora of classic movies to create a great vampire weekend.
The opener is at Blairs College in Cults, with Interview With The Vampire showing in the Old Library followed by silent classic Nosferatu in the Study Hall with a live musical score from an old friend of this blog, David Allison. The 1931 Dracula, screens in Cruden Bay Village Hall, an old haunt of Bram Stoker himself, and we’ll be taking a tour of Slains Castle the location that influenced Stoker’s description of Dracula’s castle. And the following weekend, there’s screenings of some more modern takes on the vampire lore; Iranian skateboarding feminist vampires drama A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night at Belmont Filmhouse and Let Me In showing at Arden Country Park, The Lost Boys at The ARC Cinema, Peterhead. And just so family audiences aren’t excluded, there’s Nelly Rapp Monster Agent at Bennachie Leisure Centre (at Insch) and The Little Vampire at Arden Country Park.
If I make it back in one piece, I’ll be writing up a full account of this adventure next week, and hopefully bringing back a little of the vampire magic; if I turn up at your doorstep, wild-eyes and sharp of fang, just don’t invite me in, and the same appears for floating at your upstairs window, scratching at the pane. And yes, there might even be pics so you know what’s happened to me; if I’m not back on Monday, you’ll know exactly where to send the search party…
The Festival of Darkness is kindly funded by BFI, Creative Scotland, Film Hub Scotland, Live Life Aberdeenshire, Regional Screen Scotland, Screen Scotland and delivered in partnership with Alford & District Rotary Club, Belmont Filmhouse, Discovery Film Festival, Port Erroll Heritage Group, The Arc Cinema and The Muir Group. Click the link below to find out more…
Now I am homesick, did you feast on butteries and full Scottish breakfasts!?
The fullest, at the splendid MaryCulters hotel. With haggis and scrambled eggs. Ideal start to any day.
Sounds fantastic. Is this a yearly film thing??
Wear a solid scarf and don’t eat the butteries. Got in the Halloween mood at Bradford with Dracula, Prince of Darkness. Glad to see Creative Scotland investing in something the public might want to see rather than something they will ignore.
No scarf, apparently a bare neck is required for access purposes…tapping into our Scottish literary and cultural past, this is a good example of what CS should be doing…
Are butteries compulsory?
I’m getting the search party ready now….if you’re not back on Monday, we’re coming to rescue you!!!
Truly sounds awesome. I skip the horror films but love the vampires…..a totally different genre!
What could possibly go wrong? Just look out for the two puncture marks in my neck…
Have a blast – sounds like great fun!
Well this all sounds very exciting. Have a fun time!
Hope so…
I hope the line-up for Morbius and the Underworld marathon screening isn’t too long.
I’ll see you at the themed party launch of Wesley Snipes’ Accounting software.
You’re going to be so busy you won’t have time to get scared!
Good thing you promised pix. Otherwise I’d think you were just slacking n taking the weekend off.
Don’t worry, have prepared posts running all weekend! It’s what The Master ordered!