Edinburgh celebrates St Andrew’s Day weekend 2009 on Sunday 29 November with a programme of events featuring traditional and contemporary live music and family entertainment.

The St Andrew’s DO events are free, and the Filmhouse are getting involved with a programme of free films.

The programme looks like this:

• 11.15am I Know Where I’m Going plus Tam-o-shanter
• 1.15pm  Mrs. Brown plus shorts from the Scottish Screen Archive
• 3.30pm The Flying Scotsman plus shorts from the Scottish Screen Archive

All the booking information you need can be found on the Filmhouse website.

Featuring as part of the Filmhouse’s French Film Festival, the Jacques Tati Season may have started a few days ago but there’s still plenty of time to see some of the director/actor’s finest work.

Coming up over the next month are seven films celebrating Tati’s career, including Playtime, Mon Oncle and Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (which I first saw in Screen One of the Filmhouse a few years ago).

Best known for his Hulot character, there’s a chance to see various sides to Tati in documentary The Magnificent Tati on Thursday 26 November, a good primer for those new to his canon.

Read more about the full season over on the Filmhouse website.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to the Cameo Cinema again, this time raising money for the refurbishment of the cinema.

Taking place on Saturday 28 November , all proceeds raised on the evening will go towards the upgrading of the outer foyer and toilets.

Keep an eye on the Cameo website for full details.

John Shuttleworth, star of Radio 4 and Sheffield’s favourite son, is back with a new film, Southern Softies, coming to Edinburgh’s Cameo Cinema on Wednesday 25 November.

The film follows Shuttleworth (Graham Fellows) as he travels to the Channel Islands to find out whether Southerners really are softer.

The film opens as a main feature on Friday 20 November at the Cameo but on Wednesday 25 November Graham Fellows will be there in person for a Q + A following the 7.00 pm screening.

I went to the film’s only screening during the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe – you can read my review here. Here’s a look at the trailer:

Full details can be found over on the Cameo website.

I hope you’ll allow me to indulge in a short diversion from the norm as I give a mention to my other life as film columnist for the Edinburgh Evening News.

As well as writing a Friday section for The Guide Plus section of the paper called Reel Time, usually discussing my thoughts on current films or whatever random thoughts enter my head on the subject of cinema, I run a blog on the Evening News site, also called Reel Time.

So, if you’d like even more film news and views, as well as the odd review, please feel free to head over to the blog or pick up your Friday paper if you get the urge. Plug over…

Last year saw audiences travel through the wardrobe to Narnia in Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and this year Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre takes another flight into the classic novel territory with its Christmas production of Peter Pan (Friday 27 November – Thursday 3 January.

Gasp as Peter, Wendy, John and Michael (not to mention Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys!) do battle with the wicked Captain Hook and his pirate crew. It’s a world where crocodiles go tick-tock, fairies are real and children can fly.

Directed by Jemima Levick, the cast includes Scott Fletcher as Peter, Lyceum regular Kim Gerard (Mary Rose, The Man Who Had All the Luck) as Wendy and Stuart Bowman as Captain Hook.

Here, Lyceum Artistic Director Mark Thomson previews the show:

The show is said to be suitable for ages six and up – and perfect for adults too, whether they’ve grown up or not…

Visit the Lyceum website for booking details.

Photo copyright Douglas McBride

Scotland’s leading short film curator The Magic Lantern celebrates short film as both the origin and future of cinema, viewing the short form as a unique platform for innovative, experimental and rule-breaking filmmaking.

Ways of Viewing: The Wooden Lightbox and The Audible Picture Show (CCA Glasgow, Thursday 26 November) draws from turn of the century cinematic prototypes and long forgotten ideas surrounding the moving image and its early promise.

At the core of this approach is the use of a homebuilt projector to present a striking array of handmade and processed emulsion. Hypnosis, panorama, motion studies, expectation, magic, the dreamworld and sleight of eye conspire in this intimate and immersive framework.

Canadian artist Alex Mackenzie and Edinburgh-based filmmaker Matt Hulse will perform live with a hand-cranked 16mm projector built and assembled from various relic projector parts and framed in a wooden box.

Ten chapters are presented over the course of four reels. Film speed is varied manually by cranking more quickly or more slowly, while direction of the action is controlled by winding forward and backward.

The Wooden Lightbox is an ongoing work-inprogress, an assembly of images entirely hand-processed.

Visit the CCA Glasgow website for full details.

A brand new pantomime written to celebrate Brunton Theatre’s 30th anniversary of professional productions begins on Friday 20 November and runs until Saturday 2 January: Sinbad the Pantomime featuring The Little Mermaid.

Deep beneath the Bass Rock lies the secret undersea paradise Atlantis – home to the Little Mermaid and the Pearl of Beauty, a jewel with magical properties.

When the evil witch Crabsclaw attacks the peace-loving Merfolk of Atlantis in search of the Pearl, the Little Mermaid is forced to swim ashore for help. Washed up on Fisherrow Beach she is discovered by Sinbad the Sailor, who lives on a ship in Fisherrow Harbour with his mammy Saucy Nancy and daft brother Swishee.

Together they set off on a quest to find the great Neptune, Lord of the Seas and the only being powerful enough to defeat the Sea Witch.

Sinbad the Pantomime follows on from its very successful productions of Dick McWhittington, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, also written and directed by Liam Rudden and produced by Brunton Theatre.

Tickets are available now from the Box Office on 0131 665 2240 or online at www.bruntontheatre.co.uk

The Christmas season starts with an afternoon of glamour and beauty at The Balmoral on Saturday 28 November at 12 noon.

A Christmas Fashion Show for 200 of Edinburghs most stylish is to be held in the magnificent surroundings of the five-star Balmoral Hotel.  Guests will be warmly welcomed with a champagne reception before sitting down to lunch with wine, followed by a fabulous fashion show.

The event is being held to help raise funds for Wish for Rwanda, a new charity founded by local businesswoman, Jackie Calder.

Jackie visited Rwanda earlier this year as part of a business exchange programme organised by The Together Partnership and was touched by the strength and courage of the people of Rwanda.

This trip was a life changing experience for Jackie and she returned to Scotland on a mission to raise one million pounds.  This is the first event to be held in aid of Wish For Rwanda before its official launch in the new year.

Rwanda is a beautiful country and its people are now living and working towards a future of reconciliation. They need our help a hand up, not a hand out and my wish for Rwanda is to provide sustainable solutions to projects that will help promote a stable environment and healthier population.

John Lewis will showcase their international winter collection highlighting the seasons colours and styles including glamorous cocktail and evening wear just in time to help you decide what to wear this Christmas and New Year.

Tickets cost £60 each or tables of ten at 600.  To book tickets visit www.wishforrwanda.com.

Wish for Rwanda is a charity registered in Scotland, which aims to fund community projects that will promote health, education and reconciliation in Rwanda. To find out more about Wish for Rwanda or to make a donation visit www.wishforrwanda.com.

Though I usually cover new films – and more than the occasional old one – on this site, this is a short shout out to any budding Spielberg’s or Meadows’ from the Edinburgh International Film Festival organisers who are looking to the future for submissions for the 2010 festival.

The 64th EIFF will take place from 16 – 27 June 2010 in Edinburgh. The Festival is internationally regarded as a focus for discovery, a celebration of cinema, a centre of debate and a catalyst for new films.

EIFF is committed to screening high quality new short and feature film and video work in all genres from around the world.

Please note all submitted films should be no more than 12 months old by June 2010 and EIFF requires at least UK premiere status.

Submission deadlines

• Earlybird: Monday 14 December 2009
• Regular: Monday 1 February 2010
• Late: Monday 15 February 2010

For further information on EIFF Rules & Regulations, Submission Fees and FAQs, visit the website www.edfilmfest.org.uk

To contact a member of the EIFF Submissions team please email submissions@edfilmfest.org.uk or call the office on 0131 228 4051.

To contact a member of the EIFF Programming team please email programme@edfilmfest.org.uk or call the office on 0131 228 4051.