Introduction
Welcome to the sixth Inverness Film Festival, in which we consider the theme of Imagined Communities. What happens when the American president moves into a village of 700, exploiting a folksy image of small-town innocence? Or when an idyllic rural Welsh community is threatened with the closure of vital services? How do individuals express themselves within the confines of uptight Swedish society? What links a rag-tag group of NYC outsiders? And how did travelling showpeople turn Scots on to movies? Our selection this year portrays varied communities and explores their contradictions.
2008 has been an incredible year for the Highlands’ own Tilda Swinton. She began the year with an Oscar win for Michael Clayton and has wowed critics and audiences with her hilarious turn in the Coen Brothers’ Burn After Reading. In between she found time to work with Jim Jarmusch, David Fincher and Roman Polanski. And if that wasn’t enough, in August she inaugurated her own film festival up the road in Nairn. Tilda has given film culture in the Highlands a massive boost this year, and we pay tribute to her by book-ending our festival with two of her finest films. We are delighted that Tilda will attend our special opening night gala of Sally Potter’s Orlando.
In addition we welcome world-renowned silent movie pianist Neil Brand to Inverness with his wonderful one-man show. Cinematographers Scott Ward and Minttu Mäntynen offer their expertise to aspiring filmmakers. And we present late night British chillers The Broken and Senseless. Just a few of the treats on offer to keep the (very real) community of Highland cinephiles happy!
Matt Lloyd & Paul Taylor
Festival Directors |
