15/07/2005

Announced on July 13th by its artistic director Shane Danielson, the programme of the 59th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) will be a celebration of new British films well attended by top UK talent, filmmakers and film professionals as well as a showcase for the latest and most memorable films from 36 other countries.
Opening the menu of the Scottish film event of the year on August 17th will be actor-turned director Richard E. Grant who will be on stage with actresses Emily Watson and Julie Walters to present his feature film debut Wah Wah, a French/UK/South African co-production sold by The Works. The closing night film on August 28th will be Nick Love’s Business, one of the hot titles at the last London UK Film Focus in June, described by Shane Danielson as "a gangster movie with intelligence." The film produced by Vertigo Films is sold internationally by Content Film.

Among the numerous new British films unveiled in Edinburgh will be Scottish director David MacKenzie’s Asylum [+see also:
trailer
film profile], his new film after the acclaimed Young Adam, Saul Metzstein’s Guy X, winner at the last Taorminia Film Festival, Stephen Woolley’s Stoned, Josh Appignanesi’s Song of Songs, the second film for My Summer of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Paul Rougier
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Tanya Seghatchian
film profile]’s revelation Natalie Press, Jann Dunn’s Gypo, described as ‘the first only UK Dogme film’, Julian Jarrold’s Kinky Boots from the makers of Calendar Girls, and Lexi Alexander’s Green Street, a drama about East London soccer hooligans starring Lords of The Rings actor Elijah Wood.

The Gala section with films having their UK premieres will include Fateless [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the directorial debut of Hungarian cinematographer Lajos Koltai, a co-production between Hungary/the UK/Germany, Ingmar Bergman’s Saraband [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Jacques Audiard’s The Beat That My Heart Skipped and Olivier Marchal’s 36 Quai des orfèvres starring Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil.
Among the other international premieres will be the Danish films Murk co-scripted by Anders Thomas Jensen and Ole Christian Madsen’s Nordcraft (Angels In Fast Motion), and the Icelandic/Danish/Dutch co-production Screaming Masterpiece (Gargandi Snilld) focusing on the Icelandic music scene.

The Reel Life event with film personalities interviewed on stage will give Edinburgh audiences the opportunity to see and hear UK famous director/scriptwriter Anthony Minghella, the new US maverick writer/director James Toback, UK top cinematographer John Mathieson (whose works include arthouse films Love Is The Devil, Trauma most recently Stephen Woolley’s Stoned, as well as blockbusters Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven), UK production designer Ken Adam (Barry Lyndon), actor/director Richard E.Grant, US writer/director Paul Schrader and film editor Thelma Schoonmaker one of the star guests of the festival who will dedicate a retrospective to her late husband British director Michael Powell.

Another opportunity to discuss filmmaking directly with the makers of the films will be the Script Factory Sessions organised in association with the MEDIA Programme, the British Council and UIP. The first session will focus on the UK film One a Clear Day which will have its UK premiere at the festival. Screenwriter Alex Rose will discuss how his script became a film. The second ‘film anatomy’ will be dedicated to Carlos Reygadas’ Battle In Heaven with the director and actress Anapola Mushkadiz taking the stage to discuss the making of the film.