About
Named after the practice of clandestine dissemination of censored and forbidden texts in communist states, Samizdat Eastern European Film Festival is an audience-focused film festival based in Glasgow. The festival takes place annually at CCA Glasgow and online, on the streaming platform Klassiki, in early autumn. With a diverse programme of meticulously curated retrospectives and new films produced within the Eastern Europe and the CIS, as well as special events (online panel discussions, silent films with a score performed live, showcases of short films), Samizdat is the first Scotland-based festival dedicated exclusively to cinema from Eastern/Central Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.
The 2024 edition of Samizdat is supported by Screen Scotland’s National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Fund and Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funds from Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI. Samizdat’s event co-organised with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain is jointly funded by Awards for All Scotland.
Venues
The in-person part of the festival takes place at the Glasgow Film Theatre, CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow, and the Edinburgh Summerhall. Several screenings of Samizdat 2024 will take place at other venues across Scotland.
Tickets and access
Samizdat strives to ensure that our line-up can be seen by as many people as possible, so film screenings are priced on a sliding scale, where the attendees are invited to pay £0/£2/£4/£6/£8 per film based on their preference and ability. Special events are sometimes priced differently. Every film with sound is shown with subtitles, and some are screened with descriptive subtitles thanks to Matchbox Cineclub and Nicole M. O’Reilly. Tickets for in-person events can be purchased online, on CCA’s website, or at the venue’s box office (but please remember to purchase them in advance, since seating is limited).
Virtual Screenings
Some of our screenings are available both online and in-person. Any virtual screenings and recorded events are accessible on the website of our partner Klassiki, the world's only curated streaming platform for films from Eastern/Central Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. All virtual screenings and events are accessible to attendees who join Klassiki’s membership.
Submissions
Every year, we accept short film submissions from filmmakers of any level of experience through our FilmFreeway page. The submissions period is over at the moment — follow us on social media to receive updates on the 2025 edition!
Meet the team
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Harriet Idle
Festival Director and Curator (Special Strands)
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Andrew Currie
Festival Director and Curator (Animation)
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Ilia Ryzhenko
Festival Manager and Curator (Central Asian cinema)
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Natalia Guzevataya
Special Events Manager and Curator (Ukrainian cinema and Shorts)
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misha irek
Accessibility Manager and Curator (the Caucasus, East German, and Shorts)
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Kirill Kartashov
Short Film Competition Manager
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Joe McFarlane
Community Engagement Manager and Curator (Special Strands)
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Dylan Beck
Curator (Baltic cinema)
