Teenage jewel thieves, doomed Scottish fishermen, 3D dinosaurs, 1970s tennis superstar Billy Jean King and Robert Carlyle are among the treats in store for audiences at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Artistic director Chris Fujiwara unveiled this year's programme at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. It runs to 146 features from 53 countries, a number that includes 14 world premieres, six international premieres and 10 European premieres, as well as personal appearances from Carlyle and veteran animator Richard Williams.
Mr Fujiwara said this year's programme built on the success of last year's event, which was seen by some critics as reviving an ailing festival.
He said: "I think if you compare the number of distributors who are working with us this year and the number of titles we have in our programme you'll see it's increased quite a bit from last year. "
This year has seen the British Film Institute give an added £300,000 to the festival which Fujiwara says is a sign of increased confidence in the festival's standing since he took over last year. This year will also see the return of the Audience Award after a two-year break, a move that Fujiwara welcomed. "What better way to have the audience's voice be visible than by having them give a major award."
The festival will open on June 19 with the American film Breathe In and closes with a world premiere of the new Scottish comedy Not Another Happy Ending, starring Karen Gillan.
Other world premieres include The Battle of the Sexes, a documentary about Billie Jean King's match against former men's champion Bobby Riggs and the Scottish-set Blackbird.
There will also be screenings of Cannes favourites The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola's story of real-life celebrity thefts starring Emma Watson, and Paul Wright's debut For Those in Peril, about a tragic Scottish fishing trip. A 3D version of Jurassic Park and a special focus on Korean and Swedish cinema are also scheduled.
"It's a very good year for cinema and the programme shows that," Fujiwara said.
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