The elegant streets of Edinburgh are forming the backdrop to the new movie being made by the director of Cinema Paradiso, Giuseppe Tornatore.

Tornatore, whose Oscar-winning and often tear-inducing 1988 drama is now considered a classic of its kind, is filming La Corrispondenza, or The Correspondence, in Edinburgh.

Filming of the romantic drama took place yesterday on Regent Terrace and will today continue in the New Town, with the shoot scheduled to last all week.

Shooting, it is understood, will continue on William Street today.

The former 'Bond Girl' Olga Kurylenko stars in the movie with Jeremy Irons.

The film, which also features Anna Savva, is also being shot in England and Italy.

The movie, with music by Ennio Morricone, follows the love affair between a professor and a younger woman who work in the same academic field.

The film has not received any funding from Creative Scotland but has had help from Edinburgh's screen location agency, Film Edinburgh.

The movie is being produced by Paco Cinematografica of Italy.

Tornatore is both writing and directing the movie.

Kurylenko, who was shooting scenes in the street yesterday with several extras, is from the Ukraine.

Kurylenko started her acting career in 2005 after several years as a model.

She portrayed Camille Montes opposite Daniel Craig in the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace in 2008.

More recently she starred in Terrence Malick's To the Wonder, and alongside Tom Cruise in Oblivion and Russell Crowe in The Water Diviner.

Rosie Ellison, film manager at Film Edinburgh, said: "We are delighted that such an exciting director has chosen to film in Edinburgh.

"We know that 40 per cent of visitors to the UK want to visit locations they've seen on the screen so Edinburgh goes out of its way to make sure filmmakers have a positive experience when they come here."

Kurylenko previously starred in the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

This month Film Edinburgh celebrates 25 years as a regional film office.

A report this week has shown its total economic impact for the city is estimated to be worth in excess of £65million.

Founded in late April 1990 as The Edinburgh and Lothian Screen Industries Office, it was the second film office to open in the UK after only Liverpool.

Last year the city had 550 enquiries from film makers of all kinds, leading to 360 productions in 2014, bringing £5 million of economic benefit to the city region last year.

Filming highlights over the years include: Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, Mrs Brown, The Da Vinci Code, One Day, Cloud Atlas, Under The Skin, Case Histories and Sunshine on Leith.