Our Purpose
Our mission is two-fold: to shine a spotlight on Scottish filmmakers, elevate emerging local and global cinema, and bridge the gap between aspiring and seasoned filmmakers. We achieve this through our annual film festival in the heart of historic Scotland, St Andrews. Our festival serves as a platform for emerging talents, offering them a chance to showcase their work and grow within the independent film festival circuit. Simultaneously, we are deeply committed to advancing filmmaking education by facilitating productive knowledge exchange through workshops, masterclasses, and interactive events. Our partnerships with esteemed institutions like The National Film and Television School (NFTS) and Raindance Film Festival, in collaboration with local Filmmakers’ Society and Film Society of St Andrews, empower local talent and foster the development of young audiences. We also aim to inspire filmmaking and volunteering within the St Andrews community, colleges, the University, and beyond. As a charitable organization, our goal is to unite the realms of art, culture, and education, promoting harmony, and celebrating the transformative power of cinema.
Who We Are
Boris Bosilkov
Boris is the driving force behind the St Andrews Film Festival, serving as its founder and director. He initiated The Filmmakers’ Society of St Andrews and played a pivotal role in orchestrating the inaugural St Andrews Film Festival in 2018. Boris pioneered filmmaking workshops in St Andrews, imparting essential knowledge in directing, cinematography, lighting, sound, editing, and color correction to budding filmmakers. He holds over a decade of filmmaking experience, including directing acclaimed short films and the feature "Exodus" (2013). His work has earned international recognition, with films featured in festivals in Greece, Moldova, Italy, and the UK. Boris also contributes to the artistic community as a jury member for cultural exhibitions and is a founding member of The Association of Independent Film Festivals (AIFF), which strives to elevate the standards of independent film festivals across the UK. The Association of Independent Film Festivals (AIFF) is a community for like-minded festivals to share best practice, offer advice, and encourage a more equitable film festival experience. We believe in providing filmmakers with transparency and fairness on the independent film festival circuit across the UK.
Mina Radović
Mina, a FIAF-trained archivist, film curator, and critic, is the visionary behind Liberating Cinema UK, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to preserving and showcasing global cinema heritage. He co-founded the Filmmakers’ Society of St Andrews, serving as its inaugural treasurer and a jury member for the 1st St Andrews Film Festival in 2018. Mina is a respected figure in international film festivals, scholarly journals, and serves on the Selection Committee for the Austin Film Festival. With twelve years of filmmaking experience, his expertise spans film history, world cinema, animation, silent cinema, avant-garde, and experimental cinema. Mina is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Ash Johann Curry-Machado
Ash is a final year MA (Hons) Film Studies student at the University of St Andrews, has shown unwavering dedication to the cinematic arts. Serving as the president of the St Andrews Film Society for two years, Ash's passion lies in democratizing film access and creating a space for culturally significant cinema. With a strong academic background, Ash conducted original research on the town's cinema cultures and contributed to Film Matters magazine with an article spotlighting the St Andrews Film Festival (SAFF). Inspired by this, Ash became an integral part of the SAFF team, assuming the role of assistant programme curator and event coordinator. In this capacity, he orchestrates venue screenings and helps to programme the festival, ensuring its continued success. Ash's dedication extends beyond SAFF; he has harnessed his experience to curate for prestigious platforms like the National Youth Film Awards and the Lift-off Global Network. These ventures mark the beginning of a promising career in film curation.
Walid Salhab
Walid, an award-winning Filmmaker and Content Creation Lecturer at Queen Margaret University, is celebrated worldwide for his remarkable work. He's renowned for his breathtaking footage of The Kelpies and captivating kinetic films of Edinburgh. Notably, his stop-motion animation film 'Avaritia' premiered at Cannes in 2016 and earned accolades at various international film festivals. His film 'Bra-et Al Rouh' also shone at the AFI World Cinema Festival during the Cannes Film Festival, securing multiple awards globally. Walid's unique stop-motion/hyperlapse photographic technique, honed over three years, is showcased in 'Kinetic Edinburgh II,' which garnered over eight million views online. His films have even graced television screens on BBC Reporting Scotland, STV Scotland Today, and STV Scotland Tonight, helping to share the beauty of Scotland's east coast with the world
Our History
In the summer of 2017, a group of dedicated student filmmakers from the University of St Andrews founded the Filmmakers’ Society of St Andrews, driven by the goal of creating a vibrant filmmaking community on campus. Their mission was to provide students with equipment and inspiration to develop their filmmaking skills and artistic expression. This endeavor led to the birth of The St Andrews Film Festival, supported by the University of St Andrews and Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA). The inaugural festival in April 2018 marked a significant milestone for St Andrews, bringing together local and Scottish filmmakers. With talks from filmmaker Walid Salhab and Laura Walde, Curator of the International Film Festival Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, the festival elevated the town's filmmaking profile and earned recognition, including the Best New Society Award at the 2018 Your Union Society Awards.
In 2019, the St Andrews Film Festival expanded its reach, embracing a broader UK-wide competition and gaining sponsorship from local businesses, the DCA, NFTS, London Film School, Raindance Film Festival, and others. This growth attracted filmmakers from across the UK to the Byre Theatre in St Andrews and featured enlightening talks by industry professionals. The continued excellence in organizing the Filmmakers’ Society and SAFF led to the committee receiving the Award for Continued Excellence at the 'Your Union Society Awards.'
By late 2020, The St Andrews Film Festival had evolved into a charitable organization with a profound commitment to independent film production and filmmaking education in Scotland. It also brought acclaimed international films to St Andrews, further solidifying its place in the world of independent cinema.