This week Mark Adams, Artistic Director of Edinburgh International Film Festival took time out of his busy schedule to guest lecture at Screen Academy Scotland as part of the Dartmouth Film Summer School. On Tuesday June 19th Mark was in conversation with Jeffrey Ruoff, filmmaker, historian, & professor at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire and this year’s group of 9 Dartmouth College film students, who are here for the 3 month summer school, hosted at Screen Academy Scotland, Edinburgh Napier.
A free-flowing discussion between Mark and students ensued taking in, among other things, his transition from professional film criticism (Screen International) to film programming, the differences and similarities in these activities, as well as EIFF’s role on the international film festival circuit and how the current year’s programme was developed.
Mark’s visit was part of the Film Festival module taught by Jeffrey on the Dartmouth Film Summer School. The module looks at film festivals as a worldwide phenomenon encompassing tourism, cultural nationalism, art, and commerce, exploring case studies of individual film festivals with a special emphasis on the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Dartmouth Film Summer School includes a module on Music Video taught by director Blair Young from Forest of Black and a Digital Cinematography module taught by filmmaker Catrionna Macinnes. As part of the summer school the Dartmouth students will also be attending Edinburgh International Film Festival which opens June 20th.