The event opened on April 25 with a preview of James Griffithss buzzy featureThe Ballad Of Wallis Island.
The flick hit Sands afterits debut at this years Sundance Film Festival.
Universal will release the film in UK cinemas on May 30.
Ania TrzebiatowskaRoberto Ricciuti/Getty Images for University of St Andrews
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DEADLINE: Ania, this is the fourth edition of Sands.
How do you feel it went?
ANIA TRZEBIATOWSKA:I feel it went well.
People seem to be happy, which is great.
DEADLINE: What marks a successful edition for you guys at Sands?
TRZEBIATOWSKA:The goal has always been to deliver a festival that celebrates filmmaking alongside the filmmakers themselves.
We want to make people feel like they are part of something.
This year, we had a 35% growth in terms of audiences, which is huge.
Ive been saying this to myself from day one: You have to earn this communitys trust.
Sometimes you’ve got the option to get restless and think the connection should be happening sooner.
But we needed to become more embedded in this community.
That led to us making slightly different choices.
This edition had a combination of local and international talent.
Their longtime cinema has been bought and gutted by an investment group led by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake.
That adds more significance to your work with Sands.
Is that something you were thinking about while programming the event?
TRZEBIATOWSKA:I cant say I was thinking about it much while programming because thats a lot of pressure.
The past year has been an incredible year for docs, and thats why this programme reflected that.
I was also determined to open with a comedy.
DEADLINE:Sands is obviously your second job.
Youre also a full-time programmer at Sundance.
Thats a heavy workload.
Do you still feel you’re free to carry on leading Sands?
And how little we sometimes look after ourselves.
But I love this festival and Im proud of all the work that the team has done.
They have a whole theatre programme.
They screen films and offer a Panto season, so Sands doubles their workload, too.
And then we have all the interns and our student curators.
Everyones invested in this festival.
Itll be our fifth year.
DEADLINE:Do you have anything special planned for next years anniversary?
So I do have plans.
I would love to have another music event because the Alan Silvestri conversationwe had last yearwas special.
But it has to be the right thing.
Everything has to be fairly organic.
I dont want to force anything into existence.
DEADLINE:After four years and record attendance youve clearly figured out the magic formula.
But is there anything youve learned that doesnt work?
TRZEBIATOWSKA:Overprogramming, trying to do too much at once.
It just doesnt work.
Sometimes you just get ambitious or excited because it’s possible for you to do something.
So that was a big learning curve.
Also, comparing yourself with others in the sense that we should be this because others are doing that.
Or stressing over things like premier status.
It really all about playing the best films.
