Edinburgh festival unveils lineup

Premieres include 'Faintheart,' 'Summer'

By ADAM DAWTREY

'WALL-E'

EDINBURGH — The 62nd Edinburgh Intl. Film Festival will feature several world premieres of British movies, including Vito Rocco's "Faintheart," Kenny Glenaan's "Summer," Charles Martin Smith's "Stone of Destiny" and the previously announced opening film, John Maybury's "The Edge of Love."

For the first time, the fest will take place in June (June 18-29), having moved from its traditional August slot in a bid to raise its profile and reposition itself as Europe's leading "festival of discovery."

Hence this year's lineup puts a greater emphasis than ever before on premieres of work by new filmmakers, whether from the U.K. or elsewhere, and on pics that don't yet have a U.K. distributor.

"Warsaw Dark," the directing debut of renowned Australian cinematographer Chris Doyle, will have its world debut at Edinburgh without a U.K. deal in place.

At the other end of the scale, however, there's still a place for the U.K. premiere of Pixar's latest blockbuster "WALL-E," following in the footsteps of "Ratatouille," which bowed at last year's fest.

Special guests who will give talks include f/x legend Ray Harryhausen, cinematographers Roger Deakins, Brian Tufano and Seamus McGarvey, and directors Shane Meadows and Errol Morris.

There will also be world premieres of Mark Doherty's "A Film With Me in It" from Ireland, and Brit pics "Dummy" by Matthew Thompson, "Helen" by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, and Bernard Rose's "The Kreutzer Sonata."

Two Brit pics that debut in Cannes this month, Terence Davies' "Of Time and the City" and Duane Hopkins' "Better Things," will also have their first British showing at Edinburgh.

Artistic director Hannah McGill said that further late additions from the Cannes lineup remain possible.