ABOUT US
Cinetopia is dedicated to producing events and spaces where people can be inspired and engaged in film and filmmaking through our various public-facing offerings such as film screenings, workshops, masterclasses and networking events. From Cinescapes, our outdoor film festival and event strand, to our monthly radio show and podcast on EHFM, all of our programmes are designed to foster a conversation around film.
WHAT WE DO
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EVENTS
We run various events for both the public and local film industry professionals. We host cinema nights in Edinburgh and beyond specialising in pop-up and outdoor events, monthly networking evenings, masterclasses, and a documentary cineclub.
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CINETOPIA PRODUCTIONS
We produce films and media content with varied distribution strategies in mind. From site-specific projection installations to documentary films and film/video/media content created for clients, this is the production arm of our business.
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CINETOPIA RADIO SHOW & PODCAST
Since 2018, we have run a monthly podcast and radio show on Edinburgh local station EHFM. The show covers new releases and interviews filmmakers and industry professionals as well as covers notable UK and European film festivals.
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CINETOPIA CONNECT
Cinetopia is currently building an online hub for the local film community. Cinetopia Connect is a platform designed to help the Scottish film community network online.
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CINETOPIA SHOP
We make handmade merchandise that is inspired by our love of film. We also work with local designers and artists to make film related merchandise specific for our events.
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BLOG
We run an ongoing blog to correspond to our event actvity as well as cover important local and international industry news and interview notable industry professionals.
The Cinetopia Team
Meet the core production and marketing team who works on various parts of Cinetopia to make our programmes and events come to life.
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Director & ProducerAmanda has been a documentary filmmaker, creative producer, videographer, and editor for almost two decades. Originally from the USA, she has worked on non-profit, educational, and historical documentary films and creative projects with organisations such as Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Scottish Council on Archives, and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. First working in NYC, Amanda moved to Edinburgh to complete her MSc in Film, Exhibition, and Curation at the University of Edinburgh in 2017 and continues to work on films as well as runs film events through Cinetopia. In 2020, Amanda created Cinescapes, an outdoor touring film festival across Scotland showing and celebrating Scottish films in the locations in which they were inspired and remains Director of the Cinescapes Festival. Amanda oversees the production of all Cinetopia activity.
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Freelance Marketing ManagerEmma is a freelancer marketing and social media consultant specialising in film, creative arts and hospitality. After a 10 year career working both client-side and in-agency across a variety of sectors, Emma now helps businesses grow their brand and drive awareness through story-telling. On the side, Emma runs Dolly Shots, an Etsy store selling movie-themed greeting cards, prints and stickers.
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Curator and Associate ProducerAmaya Bañuelos Marco is an educator, curator, and events manager with over 9 years’ experience working in various educational settings as well as in the film exhibition sector. Amaya has contributed to the programming teams of several UK film festivals including BFI London Film Festival, Take One Action Film Festival, and Sheffield Doc/Fest. Her recent curatorial work includes Changing Flows, a programme of short films exploring the theme of menstruation from a global perspective and the online documentary programme Cinetopia: DOC – Love your Local. She has also collaborated with Cinetopia in Cinescapes – Redrawing Edinburgh and I Ken Whaur I’m Gaun (I Know Where I’m Going) assisting in archival research and screening licences.
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Cinetopia Show Co-ProducerJim is the co-producer of the Cinetopia podcast and EHFM radio show, a freelance film critic, and Editor-in-Chief of TAKEONECinema.net, which has covered festival and independent cinema since 2011. He has served on the Cambridge Film Festival submissions panel and is a former Deputy Director of the Cambridge African Film Festival. Beyond TAKE ONE he has written about film for a number of publications and websites including Little White Lies and hosted a fortnightly radio show on Cambridge 105FM from 2011-2013
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Lead Technical Advisor & Head of Production, USASteve started his career as a local tv cameraman and radio producer and quickly moved into all aspects of production, including live broadcast directing, editing, engineering, scripting, and sound recording and design. He has enjoyed more than 30 years crafting communications for a mix of broadcast, corporate, and non-profit institutions; from a Fortune 10 financial services company to non-profit arts and higher-education institutions in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, New Jersey, and the UK - with local, nationwide, and global reach.
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Associate Producer, CinescapesScott Blair is a film exhibition practitioner from Scottish Borders. Living in Edinburgh since 2015, he has been working with a number of groups and organisations such as Alchemy Film & Arts, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh International Film Festival and Glasgow Film Festival. He has been supporting Cinetopia and their Cinescapes outdoor screenings since 2021.
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PublicistClaire Smith is the publicist for Cinescapes Festival and Cinetopia. She is an Edinburgh based publicist specialising in the arts. She has written for UK national newspapers on the arts, travel and current affairs and is the Edinburgh Editor of the Entertainment Now website.