Edinburgh: February.

My most recent month in the cobbled city has been incredibly busy. I currently find myself trudging home at 4am as Sunday mornings dawn and I finish another painful Saturday night bar shift. This is agonising at times but worth it to fund my studies; something I have written in these diary entries repeatedly and told myself again and again as I limp home in the wind and rain – I should really invest in some sturdy work shoes. On a brighter note, is there a better time to be in Edinburgh, studying film, than during awards season? I think not. The cinemas of Edinburgh have been buzzing with excitement over the last four weeks with the award season well under way. I have seen an abundance of great new releases all of which are reviewed here on the site. Having really gotten stuck into Wes Anderson’s filmography recently I am anticipating the arrival of The Grand Budapest Hotel as we look towards March. The BAFTAs are up there with Christmas day when it comes to important dates in my calendar and I look forward to watching them every year. Usually this is done in my pyjamas with a cup of tea and a slice of toast. This year, I watched the ceremony in my most glamorous frock with a large gin and tonic. My course friends and I went all out this year, hiring a venue and enjoying food, drink and dressing up along with the film awards. It was very special to spend the BAFTAs with people as passionate about cinema as I am. It reminded me why I’m here in Edinburgh – to indulge in my love of cinema. The ceremony itself was filled with surprises and several moving moments, mostly related to the recent loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman. A wonderful night was had by all and I now look forward to the Oscars with excitement.

My University work is piling up rapidly. The course is coming to a close as quickly as it all seemed to begin. With three presentations, two essays and my dissertation proposal due in before the Easter break I am frantically trying to get on top of things. Although I am still filled with self doubt I am trying to write and talk about things I am truly passionate about – these include, theatre, Woody Allen and the ethics of film-making. Life is chaotic but life is great. As well as working and studying I have been blessed with three visits from three of my dearest friends. My mother, my partner and my best friend have all been to visit me in February. My Mum came for three days and we spent time together enjoying the city and had a wonderful night seeing War Horse at the Festival Theatre with my room mate and her mum too. Great seats, food, wine and company made it a very memorable night. My partner stayed with my for a full week. It was lovely to spend some quality time together after weeks apart and he remains a phenomenal source of support and a comfort to me in this challenging year. We discovered ‘The Jazz Bar’ and enjoyed a single Scotch malt or two. Spending a day with my best friend from home was a real treat and we enjoyed several hours together catching up and walking around the city. I have done so much in the last month and there is no doubt that March is going to be just as busy. With only 5 more weeks of lectures I’m just trying to take everything in. 5 weeks? Good gracious.

Thanks for reading and let’s all keep supporting our beloved film industry.