VCU news

By Suzanne Silitch
VCU School of the Arts

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts has announced its feature film “Macbeth: Unhinged” will make its international festival world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, June 15–26. This year, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which is celebrating its 70th year, is featuring the work of Scotland’s top film artists.

“Macbeth” is a collaboration between the VCU School of the Arts and Angus Macfadyen (“TURN: Washington’s Spies,” “Braveheart”), the film’s writer, director and lead actor. The School of the Arts served as the film’s producer, with faculty members and students from the Cinema Program working as the production company that handled all of the production and post-production work.

“The VCUarts Cinema Program prides itself on fostering firsthand experiences in film production so our students can cultivate the skills they need to succeed as future film professionals,” said Rob Tregenza, Ph.D., program director and executive producer of the film. “This project enabled our students the opportunity to work alongside professional filmmakers as fellow collaborators in the creative process. The relationship we’ve fostered through working with the Virginia Film Office has bettered our students and workforce development efforts across the commonwealth.”

Students who worked on the film have gone on to work on other local productions, including the PBS program “Mercy Street” and the feature film “Loving,” an official selection at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

“Macbeth” was shot on 35mm motion picture film. Macfadyen stars in the title role alongside several other members of the “TURN” cast, including Taylor Roberts, Kevin McNally and Samuel Roukin.