Edinburgh film festival showcases new technologies

The 54th Edinburgh International Film Festival, one of the most important, influential and longest-running in the world, will be held this year between August 13 and 27. Lars Von Trier’s already infamous Palme D’Or winner “Dancer In The Dark” will open proceedings, and Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai’s exquisite story of unrequited love, “In the Mood for Love,” has been chosen to close the two-week festival. The director will be present in Edinburgh to give a masterclass – part of the Reel Life series of classes from directors, actors and writers. Also scheduled to participate in the Reel Life series are Se7en cinematographer Darius Khonji, Swedish director Liv Ullman (whose highly acclaimed film “Faithless” will be playing), and “Robocop” director Paul Verhoeven, whose “The Hollow Man” receives its international premiere.

Terence Davies’s sumptuous adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel “The House of Mirth,” starring Gillian Anderson, gets its world premiere, and the likes of Neil LaBute’s “Nurse Betty” (think Doris Day meets David Lynch), Anthony Hopkins in Julie Taymor’s bloody Shakespeare adaptation “Titus,” and the Coen brothers’ eagerly anticipated “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” are sure to attract critical and popular interest.

Digital technology and the endless possibilities of the medium of film are at the forefront of this year’s festival. “Dancer In The Dark,” the opening film, was shot entirely digitally, as was the moving and deeply human drama “One Life Stand.” Showing as part of the Focus on British Cinema Strand, the latter also boasts the distinction of being the first ever feature film to be shown digitally in the UK. There will also be a special screening of Mike Figgis’s “Time Code,” which was shot digitally, in real time, and will be accompanied by a live sound mix. The Focus on British Cinema section includes Cannes hits Purely Belter and Billy Elliot (formerly called Dancer); most films are showing for the first time in the UK, if not the world.

Late Night Romps highlights the best of horror and thrillers from around the world; perhaps this year’s biggest treat is the Japanese horror series The Ring, which has been a phenomenon in its native Japan. The films, based on the work of Koji Suzuki (Japan’s equivalent to Stephen King), are true psycho-horror that descend into unimaginable terror, with scenes of extreme violence and paranormal activity. All three films in the series will be showing.