Edinburgh goes to 'Somers Town'

Shane Meadows film wins top prize

By ADAM DAWTREY

Shane Meadows' 'Somers Town' drew the nod for new British film at the Edinburgh Film Festival as the event's first June edition wrapped up.

James Marsh's documentary 'Man on Wire' drew Edinburgh's aud nod.

“Somers Town,” by Shane Meadows, won the Michael Powell Award for new British film at the Edinburgh Film Festival, with James Marsh’s doc “Man on Wire” picking up the audience award.

The fest’s move to June from its traditional August date was widely hailed as a success, with box office rising ahead of expectations and a big increase in the number of industry delegates.

The 62nd edition of the world’s longest continually running film festival closed over the weekend, with the international premiere of Disney/Pixar’s “Wall-E” and the world preem of British comedy “Faintheart,” by first-timer Vito Rocco, on Saturday, followed by a “best of the fest” roundup on Sunday and the awards ceremony.

Robert Carlyle drew the nod for actor in a British film for his role in Kenny Glenaan’s “Summer,” praised by the jury as “a flawless performance in a great, uncompromising film.”

The jury, chaired by Danny Huston, described “Somers Town,” which started life as a short but expanded during production into a 70-minute feature, as “the freshest, most imaginative, maverick work.”

Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World” drew the documentary trophy, and Glasgow-born, U.S.-based helmer Marianna Palka won the Skillset New Directors Award for “Good Dick.”

Provisional estimates indicate that ticket sales were up 3% and box office up 5% over the 2007 edition, which unspooled in the old August slot.

Event organizers gambled on moving to June, away from the larger arts festival that swamps the Scottish capital in August, in the hope of carving a distinct identity and finding room to grow.

The move seems to have paid off, and not just at the box office: This edition saw a 39% increase in delegates to around 800 and a 19% rise in accredited press to 618. The fest invested much of its increased funding in inviting more industry players, critics and reporters, which led to packed press screenings and a palpable buzz and bustle around the enhanced program of industry events.

Advance bookings from the Edinburgh public were actually down as the event opened June 18, and insiders feared that without the arts tourists of August to pick up the slack, they would struggle to match last year’s 55,000 ticket sales. That would have been particularly disappointing given the substantially increased funding from the U.K. Film Council and Scottish Screen.

But in the end, surprisingly strong walk-in business from Edinburgh locals resulted in sold-out screenings night after night.

Aside from “Man on Wire,” the movies most warmly received by the paying public included the Errol Morris doc “Standard Operating Procedure,” the controversial Brazilian police drama “Elite Squad” and the two Brit prize winners “Somers Town” and “Summer.”

John Maybury’s “The Edge of Love” got the flashbulbs popping on opening night thanks to its glamorous stars Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller, but earned mixed reviews and reportedly scored low in the popular poll.

Fest patron Sean Connery was on hand throughout the event, and co-patron Tilda Swinton jetted in from shooting in Milan. But after the festival’s glitzy start, the glamour quotient dropped sharply as the event reverted to its traditional focus on filmmakers rather than stars.

Daniel Mulloy’s “Son” took British short, Runar Runarsson’s “2 Birds” drew the European Film Academy short film prize and Conor McCormack’s “Christmas With Dad” received the Scottish short docu nod.

Jamie Stone and Anders Jedenfors won the award for British animation for “Space Travel According to John,” and Dougal Wilson’s Goldfrapp promo “Happiness” took British musicvideo.