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About A Band is to be screened as part of Edinburgh’s Ceilidh Culture Festival.

The Ceilidh Culture Festival brings together a large number of contributors from all over Edinburgh and beyond, for a real celebration of all that is wonderful about the grass roots traditional arts in Scotland. With more than 30 contributing organisations, Ceilidh Culture proudly showcases local talent alongside international acts.

About A Band will be shown at McDonald Road Community Library on Tuesday 12th April 2011 at 10.15am. The screening will be followed by music from the Columcille Ceilidh Band.

For more details click here.

This is Bob Edwards's obituary written by journalist Jen Mitchell of the Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser. Bob was the star of our films And So Goodbye and Finding Bob McArthur. He will be sadly missed.

Friends have paid tribute to the eccentric and inspirational former Sauchie Primary School and Lornshill Academy teacher Bob Edwards (86), who passed away at Stirling Royal Infirmary.

The son of renowned Cowdenbeath goalkeeper Dave Edwards, Bob spent some childhood years in America in the 1920s when his dad played for Bethlehem Steel FC.

On his return to Scotland in 1930 Bob began his cinema-going habit, encouraged by his mother who took him several times a week.

In the 1940s, Bob edited a unique series of hand written magazines containing film and theatre reviews and profiles of actors. He would write to Hollywood stars and began receiving letters from actors including Deanna Durbin, James Mason, Warner Baxter, Nelson Eddy and Laurence Olivier.

A graduate of St Andrews University, Bob then took up a teaching post in Clackmannanshire and encouraged his pupils to read well, listen to opera, travel, speak foreign languages and take part in drama.

Unfortunately his enthusiasm was not always well met with one previous headteacher denying his request to allow the players in Romeo and Juliet to grow their hair for authenticity.

In the 1960s, along with close friend Leo Tavendale, Bob organised the Deerpark Youth Theatre to give youngsters an outlet to present plays from the likes of Shakespeare, Isben and Marlowe.

Via the youth theatre, Leo and Bob chaperoned many trips abroad to the likes of France, Italy and Austria.

Leo said, "We wanted to give an experience and taste of another world. Back then it was very uncommon to go on holiday, but Bob strived for the children to be more rounded."

Influenced by Bob's ambition and drive, several protégées found their acting curiosity kindled.

Sauchie's John Stahl went on to find fame within Take The High Road as Tom Kerr, and Maureen Beattie as Sandra Nicholl in Casualty.

Another significant friendship in Bob's life was formed in 2003. For over a year, director of Cadies Productions Ltd Robin Mitchell had attempted to trace those involved with his father, William Rollo Mitchell, in the filming of a 21-minute 8mm black and white during World War II.

The film 'And So Goodbye' was shot on Bob's camera. Robin managed to track him down via Scottish Roots Ancestral Research Company and was delighted to find the film had been transferred to DVD.

Organising a 60-year reunion for the surviving cast and crew, Robin got in contact with Scottish Screen and Scottish Television after which the story was turned into a 24-minute documentary for the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2004, broadcast on STV/Grampian thereafter.

Robin told the Advertiser, "I only knew Bob in his later years, but we packed a lot in to that time.

"After 'And So Goodbye' we worked with Bob on 'Finding Bob McArthur' and most recently he narrated our documentary, 'William McLaren: An Artist Out Of Time'. It was sad hearing of his death. He was quite a character."

A resident of Sauchie for more than 40 years, Bob will be fondly remembered as the man who loved his opera music.

And So Goodbye is to be screened at Reel Festivals in May 2011. This is a new arts festival hosting cultural exchanges between Syria, Lebanon and Scotland. The festival will begin in Damascus, move to Lebanon and end in Edinburgh with a changing program of music, film and poetry.

Previous Reel Festivals have focused on Afghanistan and Iraq and have been co-ordinated by Firefly International, Afghan Schools Trust and Edinburgh University Settlement.

The festival, supported by the British Council, will take place for three weeks from 7th May 2011, beginning in Damascus, then moving to Beirut before closing in Edinburgh.