The Circuit

The new, improved Edinburgh fest has picked their jury and announced more money for Best Brit Film prize.

Prez of this year's Michael Powell Jury is actor Danny Huston ("The Constant Gardner" and, of course, "30 Days of Night"). 

With him, "Zidane" producer Sigurjon Sighvatsson, "The End of Mr. Y" author Scarlett Thomas, and "Nip/Tuck" actor Joely Richardson.

In a statement, Huston said he was thrilled to be a part of a fest that his father, John Huston, described as "the only festival worth a damn."

The Michael Powell Award this year increases to 20,000 from 5000, due in no small part to love from the UK Film Council.

Adam Dawtrey's got Edinburgh's doc selection, which includes Chris Waitt’s “A Complete History of My Sexual Failures"(pictured), James Marsh’s “Man on Wire” and “Standard Operating Procedure” by Errol Morris.

John Maybury's biopic of Dylan Thomas, "The Edge of Love," will open the newly relocated Edinburgh film fest, now running June 18-29. 

Stars Cillian Murphy (pictured), Keira Knightley, and Matthew Rhys (as Thomas) are expected to attend with Maybury.

Started in 1947, Edinburgh boasts to being the longest continually running fest in the world.  It recently broke away from the city-wide, multidisciplinary festival held in August.

"The number of films we show is perfect," says new artistic director Hannah McGill. "For what we want to do, our size is optimum, as I want to maintain quality control. I'd prefer to grow the festival in other areas, like special events and interviews."

Adam Dawtrey has an interesting story on festival funding that is foreign to stateside events.  The UK's biggest fests - London and Edinburgh - rely on gov sponsored lottery cash to complete their budgets. 

This year, the UK Film Council passed out a big sum to Edinburgh, impressed with their pitch to be the "Sundance of Europe."

But they sent London's proposal back, saying "think bigger."

Read it here.

• An interesting article by Susan Wright on Sundance's Geoff Gilmore's keynote speech in Edinburgh: "The world of cinema is changing more dramatically now than at any time in the past 50 years..."

• Also, Filmmaker's Nick Dawson continues to post from the fest, including this one from the Writing Comedy panel with Judd Apatow and Mike White. I hope "EIFF TV" caught it on video, like they did with Mike White talking "Year of the Dog."

• And a feature I haven't yet seen at a film festival -- a daily, updated leader-list of films up for the audience award.

(Mike Jones)

 Edinburgh kicked off tonight with "Hallam Foe", starring Jamie Bell as a hopelessly voyeuristic young man kicked out of home by an evil step-mother.  Nick Dawson has a review, blogging on Filmmaker Mag's site from the fest.  On the red carpet tonight: Jamie Bell, David Mackenzie and fest director Hannah McGill.  (Mike Jones)

The Evening News of Edinburgh reports of some growing local criticism of film fest artistic director Hannah McGill's decision to move Edinburgh's dates to June. I'm sure it was expected since the film festival is a major part of the city-wide arts celebration in August. In the article, Richard Mowe, who runs the Edinburgh-based French and Italian film festivals, says removing the festival from August "downgrades the festival city at this time of year..." He continues: "It seems to be a move imposed by bureaucrats and strategists rather than those with a real passion for the arts in general, and film in particular." 

Hannah McGill defends the move in an op-ed piece here: "The analogy I keep using about Edinburgh's festivals is that of a child that has its birthday on Christmas Day. It loses out on celebrations and presents because everything happens at once."  (Mike Jones)

At Toronto, there’s the polished New Line production of Gavin Hood’s “Rendition”, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a CIA agent who doubts the guilt of man they’ve squirreled away to another country to torture. Across the pond comes the UK version, James Threapleton’s decidedly indie, and recently re-named, “Extraordinary Rendition”, which will screen at Edinburgh this month. This story follows a man trying to piece his life back together after being squirreled away. While New Line’s official “Rendition” site is what you'd expect from a Hollywood marketing department, the “Extraordinary Rendition” site is more of a blog, including a mini making-of video and entries about the stack of lawsuits building around the illegal program.  (Mike Jones)

It’s no small thing for a fest to move their dates, and Variety’s Adam Dawtrey writes why.  The Edinburgh International Film Festival announced they’re moving from August to June starting next year -- from Toronto and Venice’s cramped apartment to a roomy flat overlooking the end of Karlovy Vary.  "June will give us the breathing space to expand and create our own distinct identity," says artistic director Hannah McGill.  But as Dawtrey writes, the film festival’s desire to separate itself from the month-long Edinburgh Festival could affect everything from film selection to celeb attendance.  (Mike Jones)