12/8/2000
Edimburg Festival
Festival, Edinburgh
With films from more than forty countries playing at the EIFF this year, the Festival shrinks the world into two weeks and in doing so expands our vision of it. In its 53rd edition, the EIFF is the longest continually running film festival in the world.
The 54th Edinburgh International Film Festival opens on Sunday August 13 with
Lars von Triers musical DANCER IN THE DARK winner of Palme d'Or and Best
Actress Prize for Bjork at this year Cannes Festival. Lizzie Francke Director
believes DANCER IN THE DARK "proves a vital and unforgettable start to this
century of cinema".
Closing the Festival is latest from Hong Kong top director Wong Kar-Wai IN THE
MOOD FOR LOVE, an exquisite story of unrequited love. Wong Kar-Wai will bein
Edinburgh for the Closing Night as well discussing his filmmaking techniques in
a Reel Life masterclass event.
Among the many exciting international and world premieres featuring in the
Gala Section are Terence Davies' THE HOUSE MIRTH - a beautiful period drama
set in early 20th century New York starring Gillian Anderson and Dan Ackroyd,
and the latest film from maverick director Paul Verhoeven HOLLOW MAN - an
exciting science fiction adventure with Kevin Bacon and Elisabeth Shue.
Comedy features strongly in the Gala Section with NURSE BETTY starring Renee
Zellweger, the latest Coen Brothers' film O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? with
John Turturro and George Clooney (as never seen before!), and ROAD TRIP
the adventurous US summer hit. Strong females lead the way in THINGS YOU
CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER the assured debut from Rodrigo Garcia
(son of Gabriel Garcia Marquez) which stars Holly Hunter, Glenn Close, Cameron
Diaz and Calista Flockhart. Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange excel in TITUS,
Shakespeare's bloodiest play. Other films in the Gala Section include Brazilian
comedy EU TU ELES, Edward Norton's KEEPING THE FAITH, Scotland's latestes
big budget, the family comedy THE LITTLE VAMPIRE, the screwball comedy
LOVE AND SEX with Famke Janssen and Jon Favereau, Sundance success YOU
CAN COUNT ON ME with Laura Linney and Matthew Broderick and love story THE
LUZHIN DEFENCE, starring Emily Watson and John Turturro.
The Focus on British cinema section continues to be an important showcase for
the British film industry. This year's films include SOME VOICES with Daniel
Craig and Kelly Macdonald, THERE'S ONLY ONE JIMMY GRIMBLE with Robert
Carlyle and Gina McKee and fresh from a huge Cannes success BILLY ELLIOT.
Other films that prove the growing strength of British cinema are PURELY
BELTER the canny football manic comedy, the sparky thriller BEAUTIFUL
CREATURES and COUNTY KILBURN the comic story of life in a pub in the heart
of Irish London. Also featuring in this section are DAYBREAK, a clubbing film
set in Edinburgh, the fantastically cast HOTEL SPLENDIDE Toni Collette, Daniel
Craig, Stephen Tompkinson and Katrin Cartlidge, the Alan Clarke style LAST
RESORT and the much anticipated debut feature from Jamie Thraves THE LOW
DOWN. Peter Mullan and Saffron Burrows give magnificent performances in
MISS JULIE their's the peculiar black comedy THE NINE LIVES OF TOMAS KATZ
and the deeply human drama ONE LIFE STAND all playing vital roles in this
section.
The second year of Late Night Romps continues to offer a selection of late
night, high energy cinema; this year's treats incude the pyscho-horror THE
RING TRILOGY (we are showing all 3 in the series: THE RING, RING 2, RING 0)
which were huge box office hits in Japan, the smash hit German horror
ANATOMIE and French thriller DEEP IN THE WOODS.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival provides film-goers with the
opportunity to see some of the most creative, innovative and brazen
filmmakers in the Rosebud Section with films from first and second time
directors and in Director's Focus where films with a particularly independent
focus are screened. This year's Rosebud crop includes Mexican Pulp Fiction
AMORES PERROS, the outrageously funny CHUCK & BUCK, Argentinean CRANE
WORLD, Camera d'Or winner DJOMEH, new Dogme film THE KING IS ALIVE,
Jim Mckay's new film OUR SONG, the perceptive and powerful HUMAN
RESOURCES, the energetic KRAMPACK,feisty and raw GIRLFIGHT, and from the
director of Jeanne et le Garcon Formidable, DROLE DE FELIX. Director's Focus is
also strong with (amongst others) Takashi AUDITION, Oshima's GOHATTO
Franois Ozon's third feature WATER DROPS BURNING ROCKS and Michael
Haneke's follow upto Funny Games CODE UNKNOWN. Also included in the
eccentric Italian PANE E TULIPANI and from an original script by Ingmar
Bergman FAITHLESS, directed by our Reel Life guest Liv Ullmann.
The documentary sceion: Imagining Reality continues Edinburgh's long
tradition of showing the best of non-fiction feature film making. Stronger than
ever teh secion includes the Scottish Oscar Kevin McDonald's BRIEF HISTORY
OF ERROL MORRIS, Sarah Price's follow-up to American Movie CAESER'S PARK,
the critique of American TV evangelism (narrated by Ru Paul), THE EYES OF
TAMMY FAYE the new film from the makers of Divorce Iranian style GAEA GIRLS
and with a moody score from DJ Shadow the compelling DARK DAYS.
This years' Retrospective looks at the work of Max Ophuls, the master visual
stylist. Screening films such as THE EXILE, DIVINE and LETTER FROM AN
UNKNOWN WOMAN we shall be revelling in the beauty, opulence and baroque
richness of Ophuls' films.
There's a definite buzz about the Mirrorball section this year as directors like
Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) and Jamie Thraves, who we featured when
Mirrorball began four years ago, are now directing some of the most exciting
feature films. To check out music promos and shorts from the most exciting
directors of the future look out particularly for the Mirrorball: New Work
programmes.
Another place to find out what the feature directors of tomorrow are doing now
is in the extensive selection of Short Films screening at this year's Festival.
Scottish talent is strong with the New Found Land, Cineworks and Tartan Shorts
programmes and short films from around the world can be seen in Explosive
Fragments. There is also a fine selection of Short Documentaries and
Animation in the McLaren Award programmes.
Finally there is a strong variety of Special Events at this year's Festival
including a live sound mix to the Mike Figgis film TIME CODE, we are also
focusing on music by screening both Jem Cohen's BENJAMIN SMOKE and a
selection of his short films and promos. The Script Factory will be present
again in Edinburgh this year with actors reading live from new film scripts
including extracts from Lynne RamsayÕs latest work. Reel Life presents some
of the most exciting filmmakers talking live about their filmmaking methods;
this year guests include: composer Carter Burwell (Velvet Goldmine, Being John
Malkovich, Rob Roy); cinematographer Darius Khondji (Seven, Stealing Beauty, The
Beach, Delicatessen) and finally the director of our closing night film IN THE
MOOD FOR LOVE, Wong Kar-Wai (Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy
Together) who will all be attending the Festival. We are also screening a
crossover between documentary, fiction and art - THE BEAVER TRILOGY and a
new restoration of THE SCARLET LETTER. Younger film-goers can hear David
Stewart from Creature Features talk about how animals are trained for films,
(we are also screening a range of family films from around the world aimed at
all different ages). And of course in the finest Edinburgh tradition we present
The Surprise Movie - previous surprises have included Pulp Fiction, Smoke, LA
Confidential and My Name is Joe.
The Festival also has a new section of films for all the family - including the
best in international feature filmmaking and animation for children.
The programme can be ordered on the Programme Hotline 0907 0131 500
(calls cost £1 to cover post & packaging).
For further information or to become a Press Delegate, please contact:
Press contact: Victoria Robertson, Head of Press, Edinburgh International
Film Festival Press Office
Tel 0131 221 8739
Fax 0131 229 5501
Email press@edfilmfest.org.uk
Organiser
88 Lothian Road
EH3 9BZ Edinburgh, Scotland
United Kingdom
Tel : 44 131 228 4051
Fax : 44 131 229 5501