Edinburgh International Film Festival 2012, Wed 20 Jun – Sun 1 Jul
Edinburgh’s 66th International Film Festival will kick off this year with a screening of William Friedkin’s Killer Joe on Wednesday 20th June. The film will be shown uncut, despite the Motion Picture Association of America expressing a desire to censor it. It’s a bold and ambitious opener, but one which is sure to set a high standard for Chris Fujiwara’s first programme as Artistic Director.
Killer Joe’s cast features a range of familiar faces including Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple. McConaughey stars as hit man Killer Joe who is hired by a drug dealer (Hirsch) to murder his mother for the insurance policy. The film explores the balance of good and evil, and our willingness to sell ourselves and our principles for money.
In the creation of what hopes to be a diverse and broadly appealing programme, Fujiwara has confidently bracketed the festival in between two very different, but eagerly anticipated films. Pixar’s thirteenth feature film, Brave, will close the festival on the 30th June ahead of its general release in August.
The animated film is set in the Highlands and its blend of magic and myth will doubtless charm audiences of all ages. This is Pixar’s first film to have a female protagonist, Merida (Kelly Macdonald), who is forced to discover the meaning of bravery when her family are cursed by a spell. Pixar’s films have always been successful due to their depth of understanding of the human condition and it’s unlikely this one will be any different.