This autumn, students and graduates from the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies (LINCS) once again had the opportunity to put their interpreting skills into practice at two of Scotland’s leading international film festivals. Through our longstanding collaborations with IberoDocs and the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF), our interpreters played a key role in helping filmmakers and audiences connect across languages and cultures.
From 16 to 26 September, IberoDocs brought documentary films from Latin America, Spain and Portugal to audiences across Scotland. Shortly afterwards, the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival presented an exciting programme of contemporary Hispanic cinema, filmmaker discussions and cultural events throughout the country. At both festivals, LINCS students and graduates provided interpreting and language support during film presentations, Q&A sessions and audience discussions.
These collaborations have been an important part of the department’s engagement with the cultural sector for more than a decade. Over the years, dozens of our students and graduates have volunteered at festival events, gaining valuable professional experience while supporting meaningful intercultural dialogue. This year’s festivals continued that tradition and proved once again the value of bringing language learning beyond the classroom.
For our interpreters, the experience offered a unique opportunity to work in authentic professional environments. Facilitating conversations between filmmakers and audiences requires much more than linguistic proficiency. It demands careful preparation, cultural awareness, adaptability and the ability to think quickly under pressure. These are precisely the skills that employers across the language industries seek and that our students develop throughout their studies.
The festivals also highlighted one of the defining features of a LINCS education: the integration of professional practice into the student experience. By working alongside festival organisers, filmmakers and international guests, our students were able to apply the knowledge and techniques acquired during their studies in real-world situations where effective communication truly matters.
Perhaps most importantly, the success of this year’s events demonstrated the impact that languages and intercultural communication can have in bringing people together. Through the
work of our student and graduate interpreters, conversations about cinema, culture, politics and society were made accessible to wider audiences, enabling meaningful exchanges that might otherwise not have been possible.
We are extremely proud of everyone who represented LINCS at this year’s festivals. Their professionalism, enthusiasm and dedication contributed significantly to the success of both events and showcased the talent of our language students and graduates.
As another successful festival season comes to a close, we would like to thank IberoDocs and the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival for their continued collaboration and support. We look forward to building on these partnerships in the years ahead and to creating even more opportunities for our students to gain professional experience while contributing to Scotland’s vibrant cultural landscape.
