Feast of film

With a dozen Scottish premieres, masterclasses in special effects and the chance to see a classic horror from the 1920s brought to life, Inverness Film Festival has plenty to offer fans of the silver screen, writes Susan Welsh

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HOT on the heels of last month’s book festival comes the Inverness Film Festival (IFF), which opens next Wednesday, November 11, and runs until Sunday, November 15.

The films will be screened at the cinema within Eden Court Theatre, where festival director Paul Taylor has done a first-class job of pulling together an eclectic mix, ranging from 12 Scottish premieres to movies from amateur film-makers and workshops on a host of film-related topics.

Among the premieres, you can see the latest big-screen production from Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man, and Glorious 39, from Stephen Poliakoff, The Boys Are Back, a deeply moving, wryly confessional tale of modern family life starring Clive Owen, and a big-screen adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Or you can sink your teeth into the first Scottish screenings of Matt Damon in The Informant.

One premiere which will be of particular interest to local folk is Valhalla Rising, a stunning movie from visionary Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, as parts of the movie were filmed in the Highlands.

This year’s event has the theme of the amateur film-maker at its heart, and will see screenings and activities on this subject running through the festival, including a digital film-making/directing masterclass with New Town Killers director Richard Jobson; a two day intensive script workshop with experts from The Script Factory, while Tom Lauten, the Highland’s very own Hollywood special-effects master, will be offering his distinctive insight into the world of animatronic monsters and creatures.

New work will feature prominently throughout the festival, including screenings of features by up-and-coming Scottish directors Mark Stirton, who made the superb Aberdeen-based murder comedy One Day Removals, and Marc de Launay, who made Dark Nature.

This year’s festival will also show the feature directing debut from State of Play and Red Riding actor David Morrissey, who will join festivalgoers on Saturday, November 14, to introduce his film, and take part in a question-and-answer session afterwards.

There will also be a very special tribute to Bill Douglas, one of the finest directors Scotland has ever produced, with two days of film and documentary screenings and discussions dedicated to the late director.

Brilliant Scottish creativity rears its head again as IFF presents St Kilda Tapes creator David Allison’s musical accompaniment to F.W. Murnau’s 1920s movie Nosferatu.

There will also be an opportunity to enjoy some of the finest Scottish short films of the year, as almost every main feature screening is preceded by a brilliant short film from a Scottish film-maker.

The programme also includes educational activities for youngsters of all ages, and a schools programme featuring specially selected screenings with curriculum-specific messages.

For further information visit the website www.invernessfilmfestival.com or call 01463 234234.