Shallow Grave celebration for international film festival

This year's festival, which has an underground and independent feel to its programme, also features a smattering of Hollywood stardust with stars such as Kate Winslet, Sam Mendes, cult director Roger Corman, Clare Danes, Darren Aronofsky and Maggie Gyllenhaal expected to appear on the red carpet next month.

Hannah McGill, artistic director of the event, said the festival would be showing a digitally remastered version of the "classic", in which a group of flatmates discover a large cache of money in their apartment.

Shallow Grave was shot in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and received a £150,000 grant from the Glasgow Film Fund.

Elsewhere in the programme are six films with Scottish links, including the latest work of Andrea Arnold, director of Red Road.

Other notable screenings include Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience, which features a pornographic star, Sasha Grey, in the lead role.

The closing film, Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, which tackles the issue of autism and Asperger's syndrome.

Ms McGill said: "I think as the years go past we know more and more what the audiences want and what they react to.

"We have looked wider and longer this year, with programmers going to India and Africa to look for films, and there is a lot of high-quality work that is being made independently using digital technology which still looks stunningly professional.

"One shift is that fewer British distributors are picking up the small foreign films, because of the financial climate, and that is bad, but it means that festivals like us become even more important because they show new work. We hope some of those films at this festival get picked up because the environment is very hard."

Ms McGill said she was happy with the amount of Scottish talent to be shown at the festival, including the first Hollywood film of festival regular David Mackenzie, Spread, which she describes as "dirty". The film's star, Ashton Kuchter, may also appear at the festival.

The Homecoming Scotland section will focus on the work of the partnership formed by writer Peter McDougall and director John Mackenzie, with screenings of The Elephant's Graveyard and A Sense of Freedom.

This year's festival, the second to be held in June rather than the traditional August, is the 63rd.

Running from June 17 to 28, it will host 23 world premieres and 16 international premieres - films shown outside their home country for the first time - including the previously announced opening night gala, Sam Mendes' s Away We Go.

In all, the festival will showcase 155 features from 33 countries, including seven European premieres and 60 UK premieres.

Director Roger Corman is the subject of this year's retrospective, which will feature an appearance by the director, and also appearing will be Joe Dante, whose credits include Piranha and Gremlins.

Ms McGill added: " I don't think this year's programme is downbeat, I think there is a pretty sound selection of different moods. There are a few films about relationships, but also genre films, gangster films, and a pure sci-fi film, which everyone will love, in Moon."

A sleeper hit of the festival could well be Disney's The Crimson Wing, the studio's first nature documentary in 60 years. The film follows the life cycle of the flamingo, and features a voiceover by Mariella Frostrup. Where are they now? Ewan McGregor: Became world famous with Trainspotting, went on to be Obi Wan Kenobi in three Star Wars films and motorcycle across continents. Currently in Angels and Demons. Kerry Fox: Went on to have a rich and varied career, including the controversial Intimacy, and is shortly to appear in Jane Campion's Bright Star. John Hodge: Went on to write Trainspotting and A Life Less Ordinary - both starring McGregor - and The Beach. Christopher Eccleston: Became the first re-vamped Dr Who, as well as starring in Our Friends in the North, Heroes, 28 Days Later, and some uneven Hollywood films. Danny Boyle: Shallow Grave was his debut feature film. He went on to direct Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, 28 Days Later, The Beach, Sunshine and the Oscar- winning Slumdog Millionaire. Ken Stott: Much-loved actor has been busy ever since, especially in TV version of Inspector Rebus. Peter Mullan: Became one of Scotland's leading actors, starring in My Name is Joe, The Magdalene Sisters, Young Adam, On a Clear Day, and recently in the Red Riding TV series as a memorable villain. Keith Allen: He is perhaps more famous now as the father of pop singer Lily Allen.