Some of the biggest names in international cinema are heading for the Highlands as Inverness Film Festival prepares to celebrate its 24th year with an ambitious programme of films from around the world.
Running from 13 to 19 November at Eden Court, the festival will feature a Cannes Palme d’Or winner, eagerly anticipated new releases, acclaimed documentaries and a celebration of filmmaking talent from the Highlands and Islands.
Among the highlights is Fjord, the latest film from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, which won the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Starring Renate Reinsve, Sebastian Stan and Lisa Carlehed, the courtroom drama explores a difficult moral dilemma and is among the festival’s major previews.
The festival opens with Danny Boyle’s Ink, starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy in a drama about Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of The Sun.
Closing the week will be Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, a warm celebration of community theatre featuring Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti and Halle Bailey.
Another major attraction is Prima Facie, an adaptation of Suzie Miller’s acclaimed play starring Cynthia Erivo as a successful barrister whose experience of sexual assault challenges her faith in the legal system.
Audiences can also look forward to new work from celebrated filmmakers Mike Leigh, Andrew Haigh and Hirokazu Koreeda, alongside performances from Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz.
But this year’s festival is about considerably more than famous names.
As part of Eden Court’s 50th anniversary celebrations, cinema will move beyond the theatre with three special screenings in familiar Inverness locations.
Ghostbusters will appear at Inverness Library, Kidnapped will be screened at Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre and Little Shop of Horrors will find a particularly suitable home at Inverness Botanic Gardens.
The screenings take place ahead of the main festival, offering audiences an opportunity to enjoy much loved films somewhere entirely different.
Closer to home, the Inverness Shorts Showcase will celebrate emerging filmmakers from across the Highlands and Islands, with screenings, discussions and an audience vote.
The programme also includes Trad Treasures: Jimmy Hutchison, exploring the life of the South Uist singer and traditional weaver, who will attend to share stories and perform.
Documentary audiences will find plenty to explore, including We, The Hated, examining the Just Stop Oil movement, and Nuisance Bear, which follows a polar bear navigating an increasingly complicated relationship with people.
Other films tackle themes of family, identity, belonging, climate and the tensions shaping contemporary society.
Festival Director Paul MacDonald-Taylor said:
“There’s plenty in this year’s festival to spark conversation, from films tackling conflict, politics and climate to stories exploring identity, belonging and the ties that bind us.
“And, as part of Eden Court’s 50th anniversary, we’re taking cinema beyond our usual screens with three classic films in some very special locations around Inverness.
“From major new releases and international discoveries to documentaries, restored classics and emerging Highland filmmakers, Inverness Film Festival offers audiences the chance to experience cinema in all its variety and discover films they might not otherwise encounter on the big screen.”
The festival has also partnered with Inverness bakehouse XOKO, bringing together two local organisations with a shared interest in culture and community.
For seven days this November, Inverness will once again become a meeting place for filmmakers, film lovers and stories from every corner of the world.
