The Edinburgh Festivals reveal the competition titles for the reimagined major award on 'Nude Tuesday'
"Nude Tuesday," Arma*an Ballantyne's gibberish comedy, will be the focal point of the 75th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). Earlier screenings of this film took place at Tribeca and Sydney, in which Laura (Jackie van Beek) and Bruno (Damon Herriman) attended a three-day retreat run by relationship guru Bjorg Rasmussen (Jemaine Clement), in an effort to rekindle their marriage's spark. Upon their arrival, they encounter an increasingly absurd farce on their way to reconnection. An improvised gibberish-like language is used throughout the film, with subtitles created by Julia Davis.
With its Michael Powell Award for best British feature, the festival has reimagined its major award. “In a renewed commitment to internationalism and cultural exchange, a fundamental tenet of the Edinburgh Festivals, the Powell & Pressburger award will be presented at the festival. There are ten films entered in this competition, which is made up of a mix of British and Irish filmmakers as well as an international talent. The competition honors imagination and creativity in filmmaking. "The films selected for our 2022 competition are daring, eclectic, and genuinely embody the creativity found in the works of our award's namesakes - Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger," the festival said.
Among their classics were "Black Narcissus" (1947), "The Red Shoes" (1948), and "Tales of Hoffman" (1951).In contention for the Powell & Pressburger award are Jan Gassmann's erotic drama "99 Moons," Scottish animators Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson's inventive documentary "A Cat Called Dom," Peter Strickland's dark comedy "Flux Gourmet," Brazilian director Flávia Neves' directorial debut "Fogaréu," Josh Appignanesi and Devorah Baum's marital angst documentary "Husband," debutant Martika Rami
“Leonor Will Never Die” from Sundance; Andrew Legge’s WWII-set debut feature “Lola”; Moroccan filmmaker Maha Haj’s Cinefondation-winning documentation of Sinead O’Connor’s mental illness and masculinity “Mediterranean Fever”; and Amanda Kramer’s exploration of queer desire and masculinity “Please Baby Please” recently screened in Rotterdam. There are 50% of women filmmakers in the competing films.
EIFF features an array of Scottish talent as usual. The festival opens with Charlotte Wells' "Aftersun" and there are many other films from local filmmakers, including the competition title "A Cat Called Dom." Glasgow-based Marie Lidén's documentary "Electric Malady" looks at a medical condition. The Ballad of a Great Disordered Heart" is a collaborative film by Edinburgh-based folk musicians Aidan O'Rourke, Becky Manson, and Mark Cousins depicting the Irish communities of Edinburgh. Scottish director Andy MacKinnon uses the rare 8mm color film of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides to bridge the gap between the contemporary population and their not-so-distant past in "Dùthchas" | "Home."
Furthermore, Hassan Nazer's "Winners" ("Barandeha") is set in a deprived area of a small Iranian town where children must work to support their families. Borja Alcalde's debut feature documentary "The Sacred Family" ("La Sagrada Familia") reflects on what binds a family together or breaks it apart. Developed from his BBC short documentary, Peter Day's "Off The Rails" follows Surrey teens Aiden and Rikke's quest for YouTube fame, produced by Scot Grant Keir. A story about an Edinburgh band called Shooglenifty is told in Don Coutts' "Heading West: a story about a band called Shooglenifty".
A 35mm retrospective screening at EIFF marks the 20th anniversary of Glaswegian director Lynne Ramsay's second film "Morvern Callar," based on Scot Alan Warner's novel. A major retrospective of the work of Japanese film director and performer Kinuyo Tanaka (1909-1977), who played an essential role in the history of Japanese cinema, will also be presented at EIFF, with six of her films being restored in 4K.
Moreover, Reframing The Gaze: Experiments in Women's Filmmaking, 1972 to Now is a retrospective program curated by Kim Knowles in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Women's Event at EIFF, the first global film event dedicated entirely to female directors. As a way of acknowledging the diversity and multiplicity of feminisms in contemporary society, EIFF's 2022 Theme will incorporate them throughout its entire program.
The creative director of the festival, Kristy Matheson, said: "For our 75th anniversary, we've celebrated cinema from its production to its exhibition as a truly collaborative endeavor.".r." Working alongside a talented team of programmers and festival producers to craft our 2022 program has been joyous.