Full details of the 2009 Inverness Film Festival were released yesterday (Monday 2nd November 2009) by Eden Court’s Film Programmer and Festival Director, Paul Taylor. In addition to 12 Scottish premieres, including the latest big screen productions from Joel and Ethan Coen (A Serious Man) and Stephen Poliakoff (Glorious 39), Highland film fans will also be treated to a fantastic selection of ‘special’ extras – such as a Digital Film Making / Directing Masterclass with ‘New Town Killers’ Director Richard Jobson, a 2-day intensive script workshop with experts from The Script Factory, and Tom Lauten, Inverness’ very own Hollywood special effects master will be offering a unique insight into the world of animatronic monsters and creatures!

This year’s event has the theme of ‘the auteur film maker’ at its heart, and will see screenings and activities on this subject running through the festival.

Among the Scottish Premieres will be ‘The Boys Are Back’, a deeply moving, wryly confessional tale of modern family life starring Clive Owen, ‘Valhalla Rising’, a stunning movie from visionary Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn which was filmed throughout the Highlands and which stars the enigmatic Mads Mikkelsen as ‘One Eye’ and ’44 Inch Chest’ which stars Ray Winstone, Joanne Whalley and John Hurt. Fans of the big screen adaptation will love the Scottish Premiere of Stieg Larsson’s ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’or they can sink their teeth into the first Scottish screenings of Matt Damon in ‘The Informant’

There will also be a very special tribute to Bill Douglas, one of the finest directors Scotland has ever produced - in two days of film and documentary screenings and discussions dedicated to the late director. Brilliant Scottish creativity rears its head again as IFF presents St Kilda Tapes creator David Allison’s unique musical accompaniment to FW Murnau’s 1920’s movie ‘Nosferatu’.

New work will feature prominently throughout the festival, including screenings of features by up-and-coming Scottish directors Mark Stirton (One Day Removals) and Marc de Launay (Dark Nature). This year’s festival will also show the feature directing debut from State of Play and Red Riding actor David Morrissey, who will join festival-goers on Sat 14 November 2009 to introduce his film, and take part in a Q&A session afterwards.

There will also be an opportunity to enjoy some of the finest Scottish short films of the year, as almost every main feature screening is preceded by a brilliant short film from a Scottish film-maker.

Inverness Film Festival continues to offer much more than just films to much more than just film fans, with a programme of educational activities for kids of all ages, and a schools programme featuring specially selected screenings with curriculum specific messages.

Full Film Festival programme information can be downloaded by clicking here