A new art project is brightening up Kirkcaldy town centre by filling unused shop windows with original artwork.
Launched in January, the scheme sees art by local artist group Blacksand Contemporary Arts displayed in shops that have been left empty as a result of the credit crunch.
Artist Patricia Bray said that Blacksand Contemporary Arts were “very happy to be approached to take part.” She added, "It provides a great opportunity to put our artwork in the centre of town where it's easily seen by the public and we hope that this is the start of further innovative partnerships with Fife Council."
The project is led by Andrew Walker, economic advisor with council development services, who said, "Shop windows are an ideal place to exhibit art and they are an excellent way of bringing art to a much wider audience. Culture has a unique ability to lift people and places, and will hopefully attract new visitors to the town centre and in turn boost the local economy."
Councillor Brian Goodall, chairman of the housing and communities committee added, "This is a very exciting and unique project for Kirkcaldy and we are pleased that it's one of the first in the Celebrating Fife 2010 year-long programme. I'm very much looking forward to walking the art trail and hope that many others will also feel inspired by the local works of art."
The art has met with mixed reactions from the public. One visitor to the town centre commented, “They should concentrate on new shops and jobs, rather than filling the windows with rubbish”. However, Lesley-Anne, a student at the town’s Adam Smith College said. “I think it’s interesting, and a good use of the space”.
Not everyone has even noticed the art. Several locals asked “What artwork?” when asked their opinion.
There is currently art on show in eight empty shop windows across the town. The displays are varied, with everything from coloured doilies to a range of items found washed up along the Kirkcaldy coastline.
For some, the idea of filling empty windows is appealing, but not what Fife Council has chosen. One Kirkcaldy resident said, “I think it brightens up spaces where there is nothing, but it could have been more imaginative.” Michael, another student at Adam Smith College, said “They should have let students fill the windows instead of what they have done.”
Artist Damon Herd has created a pictorial biography of Kirkcaldy-born engineer and inventor, Sir Sandford Fleming, who invented standard time. The paintings are displayed on the High Street, in the site formerly occupied by Birthdays. The work has proved popular, and as well as brightening up the High Street, it has brought Sir Sandford Fleming to the attention of locals, with one man commenting, “It caught my eye, and I stopped to read it. It’s very interesting.”
For anyone interested in viewing the art, displayed across Kirkcaldy, an art trail leaflet has been produced. Available in public buildings in the town, the leaflet includes a map of the artwork, and detailed information about each display.

Fife has its own growing film business.
The Big Shout Big Films Association was formed in April this year. Funded by First Light, Celebrating Fife, Fife Council, Big Films Association and Media Education, the BFA is for young people aged 8-19 who live in Fife and want to be on either side of the camera.
Since April, teams of young people have worked on three short films. The films had their premiers on May 30 at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy. Over 400 people attended to see one of the films receive ‘The Big Films Association Award 2010’.
Duncan Simpson from Fife Council’s Young People’s Services, said, “This event is part of celebrating Fife 2010 and builds on the excellent work of Big Shout Fife’s approach to helping young people find a voice.”
The winning film was Modern Love. A comedy about a young man who sets his friend up on a blind date, the film was made by 24 young people aged between 13 and 19, and was set in Leven, Buckhaven, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes.
Also competing for the award was Past the Point, and The Spy Who Had Enough.
Set in Cowdenbeath and LochgellY, Past the Point is a drama showing both sides of bullying.
‘The Spy Who Had Enough’ is a spy movie spoof set in South West Fife. The cast and crew were aged between just eight and 12.
The award was presented by Glasgow actor Billy Boyd, who starred in Lord of the Rings. He said “I am really honoured to be part of the Big Shout project. For young people in Scotland to get the chance to make films, to see what that involves, and to see that it’s something that they can realistically do, is a great thing. To be so involved in every aspect of film making, as they seem to be in this project, is truly wonderful, and I hope it will inspire everyone involved to go out and make more films. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the films the young people have been working on and hearing more about how everyone felt about the process and, of course, their ideas for films they’ll be making in the future.”
Councillor Alice Soper, chair of the Kirkcaldy Area Committee, said, “This is the first world premiere held in Fife; it was funded by First Light and Celebrating Fife with Fife Council. Welcome to Kirkcaldy – the Hollywood of Fife!”

Scotland's film industry

For most people, mention of Scotland’s film industry brings to mind Gregory’s Girl. That, or Braveheart.
However, there is more to the film industry in Scotland than historically-inaccurate blockbusters filmed in Ireland.
The latest big-budget film to be shot in Scotland is Burke and Hare. Set mostly in Edinburgh, the film tells the true story of the 19th century murderers William Burke and William Hare. Although directed by American John Landis, much of the film has been shot in Edinburgh and Stirling.
Scotland, with its macabre history and dark landscapes, is the ideal place to shoot a horror film. The cult classic, The Wicker Man, was set on the fictional Scottish island of Summerisle, and mostly filmed in Dumfries and Galloway. As well as being a hit with horror fans, the film was well received by critics, winning the 1978 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. In 2004, The Wicker Man was named the 6th greatest British film of all time by Total Film magazine., It later ranked at number 485 on Empire Magazine’s ‘500 greatest movies of all time’.
In 2007, the adaptation of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood series was filmed in Edinburgh. Joe Daley of Seraphim films, who made the film, said "Once the idea of shooting in Scotland came up we jumped at the opportunity. Edinburgh is an amazing city. Every location we are using elevates this story to such an incredible level."
Rosie Ellison, spokeswoman for Edinburgh Film Focus, the city's locations agency, said: "Horror films are very much in vogue at the moment, and there's been a real growth in their popularity in the last few years. Somewhere like Edinburgh is virtually a ready-made set for a horror film, with its underground locations and twisty historic streets. There's real potential there for Scotland to attract more horror films."
Mark Cousins, a Scottish writer and producer, added "Scotland has a huge number of great gothic locations and visually stunning places. It's great for us to attract film-makers from overseas, but it would be lovely if we could have our very own horror film-making industry right here in Scotland. The good thing about horror films is that you don't need a big studio to make them in."
Richard Jobson, the writer and director of New Town Killers, said of Edinburgh, "You can time-travel so easily – in a moment, you can move from the antiquated, genteel home of the Enlightenment, a place rich in culture, to this dark, unsettling, subterranean world." Released in 2008, New Town Killers tells the story of a young man forced into playing a game of cat and mouse with two wealthy bankers, across Edinburgh’s New Town. They’ll pay off his debts - if he survives the night.
Filmed almost entirely in the New Town, and starring Fife actor Dougray Scott, New Town Killers was a critical success, and nominated for a Bafta. However, despite being an official selection for the London Film Festival, and the International Thessaloniki Film Festival, the film failed to make any real impact on the box office.
James Kilgour, a student filmmaker, thinks that part of the problem is that the Scottish film industry is not promoted enough. However, he admits that this is on the rise. “I don't think it’s due to lack of effort - there are organisations such as Skillset and Scottish Screen that are there helping filmmakers.”
However, the problems occur after the films have been made. All too often, they are not shown beyond film festivals. When they are given a cinema release, it is usually at limited cinemas, for a limited time.
James is unsure if he wants to work in the Scottish film industry. “I am proud to be Scottish, but I don’t think the Scottish film industry is recognised enough. I don’t want to spend years making something that isn’t even seen outside the country”.
James’s favourite Scottish film is Dog Soldiers. Set in the Highlands of Scotland, it was filmed almost entirely in Luxembourg. This is the other problem with the Scottish film industry. Films set in Scotland are rarely actually filmed here, despite the fact that Scotland has impressive landscapes, and quirky towns.
Previously, films were made outside the country because Britain did not offer tax relief for films. In January 2007, a system of film tax relief was implemented. In order to be eligible for the tax break, 25% of a film’s production costs must relate to the UK, and the film must be intended for cinematic release. This offers a financial incentive to film in Scotland.
Filmed in the early 1990s, much of Braveheart was filmed in Ireland, However, it was recently voted by cinema-goers as the top Scottish film of all time. Unfortunately, despite being an entertaining blockbuster, most of it was inaccurate. Even Mel Gibson’s accent was voted one of the worst accents in cinema history. However, as James points out, “I've heard of Scottish films not doing so well in the States because of them not being able to understand the accent.” Also on the list was The Last King of Scotland, which was even less Scottish than Braveheart, James McAvoy aside.
James McAvoy is just one of many successful Scottish actors. However, like many Brits, he has chosen to make his career in big-budget films, many filmed in Hollywood. This is partly because Scottish films do not offer the money and recognition that many actors crave. Perhaps a Scottish film starring a famous Scottish actor would finally put Scotland on the filmmaking map, allowing Scottish filmmakers to compete with big studios.
Scotland can, and does, produce world-class films. The country has the filmmakers, actors and locations. Now all it needs is the audience.

The Mist

Directed by Frank Darabont, The Mist, based on a short story first published in 1980, is the latest in a long line of Stephen King adaptations (1408, starring John Cusack was released earlier this year). It is Darabont’s third King adaptation, and follows his adaptations of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, arguably two of the most successful adaptations of Stephen King stories.
Following a violent storm, a small town in Maine is enveloped by a strange mist. Local artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane), and his young son Billy (Nathan Gamble) head to a local supermarket, along with most of the town. Suddenly, a blood-soaked man stumbles through the doors, claiming that there is something in the mist. And it’s killing people. One brave soul leaves the supermarket with a rope tied around his waist, to retrieve a gun from his car. The rope returns with only the lower half of his body attached. So far, so gory.
However, the real horror is not the creatures outside the supermarket, it is the situation inside. The film largely focuses on the people trapped inside the supermarket, and the relationships they form. While The Mist is an effective horror film, with truly gruesome monsters, it is also a study in how people behave in extreme situations.While the ensemble cast, including British actor Toby Jones, delivers believable performances, Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River) is particularly outstanding as Mrs Carmody, a religious fanatic who becomes more and more deranged as the film progresses.
The weakest element of the film is the monsters. Although the special effects are generally impressive, with some genuinely creepy shots of the monsters lurking in the mist, one shot near the end of the film is particularly awe-inspiring, there are a few instances of less-than-realistic close-up CGI.
The original music was composed by Mark Isham, however, the film is only lightly scored, and the silence only adds to the eerie feel captured by Darabont.
The film is largely faithful to the original story. However, Darabont spends more time than King explaining the origin of the mist and the monsters, which is neither necessary or particularly scary. Darabont also changed the ending dramatically.Stephen King said “Frank wrote a new ending that I loved. It is the most shocking ending ever and there should be a law passed stating that anybody who reveals the last 5 minutes of this film should be hung from their neck until dead.” So I won’t.
However, set against a beautiful score (The Host of Seraphim by Dead Can Dance), the ending is powerful and emotional, and will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.