Cinetopia Radio

Cinetopia

Regular film show from the Cinetopia podcast team, reviewing the latest releases (slanted towards arthouse cinema), and interviews with film professionals as well as highlighting industry specific masterclasses we produce in Edinburgh. Cinetopia is a organisation aiming to make film and filmmaking more approachable and diverse within Edinburgh and beyond. We offer low-cost film screenings for local communities & organise free networking events that bring filmmakers in the early stages of their careers together with seasoned professionals and festival directors together.

  1. 21 Aug

    August 2026: Edinburgh International Film Festival Special

    Cinetopia presents our annual special edition from the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival. Amanda Rogers is joined by Garry Arnot and Mariana Duarte to discuss festival highlights including opening film The Incomer, Extra Geography, Tamra Davis’s The Best Summer, Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s The Sheep in the Box and many more, including films competing for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. Amanda and Veronica Buccino also bring you interviews from across the festival, featuring Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Smith from Queen at Sea; Bart Simpson, director of The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman; Finlay Pretsell, director of Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon; Tamra Davis, director of The Best Summer; and members of the cast and crew of Extra Geography. Show running times [00:00] Introduction [02:01] The Incomer [09:12] The Sheep in the Box [28:05] I Want Your Sex [38:35] Interview with Bart Simpson, director of The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman [48:46] The Best Summer review [57:24] Interview with director Tamra Davis [1:14:49] Interview with Finlay Pretsell, director of Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon [1:32:42] Extra Geography review and interview clip [1:37:11] Queen at Sea review and interview clip For more EIFF reviews and the full video interviews, visit the Cinetopia YouTube channel and cinetopia.co.uk. Cinetopia opening music composed by Rossano Cariello. Produced and hosted by Amanda Rogers.

    August 2026: Edinburgh International Film Festival Special
  2. 20 Apr

    April 2026: The Drama, Project Hail Mary & Rose of Nevada + Mark Jenkin Interview

    In this month’s episode of the Cinetopia podcast, we review three new releases that each unfold in their own distinct world. We begin with The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, a dramedy already generating conversation around its central twist. We then turn to Project Hail Mary, a science-fiction story built around a deeply unexpected relationship, before discussing Rose of Nevada, the latest from Mark Jenkin, a quietly uncanny, time-bending mystery starring Callum Turner and George MacKay. We also sit down with Mark Jenkin to talk about the film, his creative process, and how it connects to his earlier work as part of a Cornish trilogy. Plus, we look ahead to our Fiends in the Furrows folk-horror festival, including outdoor screenings of Enys Men and Rose of Nevada. Show Running Order00:15:30 – The Drama (dir. Kristoffer Borgli) Review00:44:23 – Project Hail Mary (dir. Phil Lord & Christopher Miller) Review01:06:52 – Rose of Nevada (dir. Mark Jenkin) Review01:24:46 – Mark Jenkin Interview01:56:20 – Closing Cinetopia is an Edinburgh-based film exhibition and events platform dedicated to curating distinctive cinema experiences across screenings, festivals, and live events. From new releases to archive works, Cinetopia brings audiences together through thoughtful programming, conversation, and a focus on film as a shared cultural experience. Find out more at www.cinetopia.co.uk Check out our Fiends in the Furrows festival, running from 23–26 April: www.fiendsinthefurrows.com

    April 2026: The Drama, Project Hail Mary & Rose of Nevada + Mark Jenkin Interview
  3. 30/11/2025

    November 2025: Jay Kelly, The Running Man, Bugonia, Wake Up Dead Man, plus Queer East & French Film Festival Interviews

    Film reviews, festival conversations and special interviews with Yi Wang (Queer East) and Richard Mowe (French Film Festival UK). Episode Overview In this November edition of the Cinetopia Radio Show and Podcast, Amanda is joined by contributors Emma and Mariana for a packed episode of reviews and festival conversations. We begin with Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer’s new Hollywood character story starring George Clooney, before diving into Edgar Wright’s adrenaline-fuelled The Running Man, Yorgos Lanthimos’s wonderfully deranged Bugonia, and Rian Johnson’s latest Benoit Blanc mystery, Wake Up Dead Man. We also feature two interviews:• Yi Wang, Director of the Queer East Film Festival, speaking about this year’s programme.• Richard Mowe, Director of the French Film Festival UK, discussing the festival’s history and its 2025 highlights. Plus, a reminder to explore Cinetopia Recommends — our weekly guide to film events and opportunities across Scotland — and Cinetopia Connect, our free digital platform for screenings, jobs and community listings. [00:00] IntroductionAmanda welcomes listeners, introduces contributors Emma and Mariana, and sets up the films and interviews featured in this month’s episode. [03:40] Jay Kelly — dir. Noah Baumbach (co-written by Emily Mortimer)A Hollywood character story starring George Clooney as a man confronting the public version of himself — glossy, charming and tinged with self-reflection. [19:24] The Running Man — dir. Edgar WrightA high-energy, near-future chase thriller faithful to Stephen King’s novel, full of commentary on surveillance, spectacle and the machinery of entertainment. [31:20] Bugonia — dir. Yorgos LanthimosA ferocious conspiracy satire starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Wild, uncomfortable, brutally funny — Lanthimos back in sharp form. [42:43] Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery — dir. Rian Johnson Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, but Josh O’Connor absolutely steals the show in the third instalment of Rian Johnson’s cult mystery franchise. [56:09] Interview: Yi Wang — Director, Queer East Film FestivalVeronica Buccino speaks with Yi Wang about this year’s Queer East On The Road programme. [01:23:45] Interview: Richard Mowe — Director, French Film Festival UK - Richard Mowe reflects on the festival’s history and its 2025 highlights.

    November 2025: Jay Kelly, The Running Man, Bugonia, Wake Up Dead Man, plus Queer East & French Film Festival Interviews
  4. 01/11/2025

    October 2025: London Film Festival Edition + Jali Film Weekender interview

    This month (October) the Cinetopia team — Amanda, Robert, Rosie and Emma — dive into the 2025 BFI London Film Festival from both sides of the border, unpacking the highlights, surprises and cinematic trends that defined this year’s programme. Episode breakdown: [00:00] Introduction & Festival Overview How this year’s LFF felt from both London and Scotland, what’s new, and how regional audiences are engaging with the festival. [15:00] Frankenstein — dir. Guillermo del Toro A bold and emotional reinterpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic, part-filmed in Scotland, blending gothic spectacle with del Toro’s empathy for the monster within. [28:05] I Was Just an Accident — dir. Jafar Panahi A road-movie-style reflection on guilt and redemption, rich with Panahi’s quiet humour and humanism, blurring the line between fiction and reality. [37:00] Die My Love — dir. Lynne Ramsay Ramsay returns with a visceral, intimate portrait of motherhood and rage, shot through with her trademark precision in image and sound. [46:45] Hamnet — dir. Chloé Zhao An emotional, gorgeous film that reimagines Shakespeare’s family life through the loss of his son, capturing the texture of grief and creative legacy. [01:01:00] Mastermind — dir. Kelly Reichardt Autumnal in tone and quietly comic, Reichardt’s latest turns the art-heist genre inside out, reflecting on the absurdities of creative ambition and failure. [01:10:15] Interview: Jali Collective — Tomiwa Folorunso and Carmen Thompson Amanda speaks with the co-founders of Jali Collective, a grassroots Edinburgh-based collective widening access to African cinema and celebrating Black, African and diaspora stories through film and culture. Join us for festival reflections, film chat, and a little cross-border cinephile gossip — from London to Edinburgh and beyond.

    October 2025: London Film Festival Edition + Jali Film Weekender interview
5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Regular film show from the Cinetopia podcast team, reviewing the latest releases (slanted towards arthouse cinema), and interviews with film professionals as well as highlighting industry specific masterclasses we produce in Edinburgh. Cinetopia is a organisation aiming to make film and filmmaking more approachable and diverse within Edinburgh and beyond. We offer low-cost film screenings for local communities & organise free networking events that bring filmmakers in the early stages of their careers together with seasoned professionals and festival directors together.

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