EXCLUSIVE: The Sands International Film Festival of St Andrews will return for a third edition set to run from April 19 – 21, 2024.
Next year’s dates see the festival take a slight shift in the calendar, with the start date just under a week later than 2023’s edition, which ran April 14 – 16.
Last year saw the fest unravel over three days, with a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man), who opened the fest with a world premiere screening of his Prime Video series Citadel. Other highlights included Q&As with Stanley Tucci, who screened his 1996 culinary comedy Big Night; Reinaldo Marcus Green, who brought his 2018 thriller Monsters and Men and veteran casting director Margery Simkin (Avatar, Little Shop of Horrors, and Top Gun). The festival also hosted a packed keynote industry-focused panel chaired by Deadline’s Mike Fleming featuring Joe Russo, Cinetic Media founder John Sloss, and writer-director Adura Onashile (Girl).
Mounted in the ancient Scottish town of St Andrews, Sands is headed by festival director Ania Trzebiatowska, who programs the official line-up with a team of student curators from St Andrews University, a gig she juggles alongside her duties as a Programmer for Sundance. An industry veteran, Trzebiatowska previously ran the Off Camera film festival in Krakow, Poland, for 12 years and had stints in sales and acquisitions. Russo’s AGBO is among the backers of Sands, alongside Screen Scotland and Deadline, which is the primary media sponsor.
“Sands is about creating a safe place for emerging filmmakers to come together with established names, to share experiences, and build supportive networks,” Trzebiatowska said. “2024 is only the third year of Sands, but we are working towards building a community, and making some cool things happen in this unique Scottish town.”
Russo added: “We want Sands to be a place where emerging filmmakers come to show their work and have conversations with peers and audiences. We are pleased to see the addition of the gaming panel this year with Donald Mustard. This festival offers the creative community a perfect place to meet.”
Check out coverage from last year’s edition here.
