William Friedkin's Killer Joe to open EIFF
The Exorcist director's comic thriller to kick-off 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) organizers announced today that comic noir thriller Killer Joe will be the Opening Gala on Wed 20 Jun 2012 in Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre.
The film is directed by William Friedkin, best known for his role directing 1973 horror classic The Exorcist. The cast is a strange mix, with Hollywood’s premier gym bunny Matthew McConaughey starring in the title hitman role, alongside Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Milk), Juno Temple (Atonement, upcoming Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises), Gina Gershon (Bound) and Thomas Haden Church (Spider Man 3, Sideways).
Friedkin said of the film: 'Killer Joe is about the good and evil in everyone, the struggle for our better angels to triumph over our demons. Often lost. The thin line between the policeman and the criminal. It's also a riff on the Cinderella story, wherein she finds her prince, but he turns out to be a hired killer.'
He added, 'I would also like to thank the Edinburgh International Film Festival for honouring our film with this screening – uncut – of a film the Motion Picture Association of America has expressed a desire to censor.'
EIFF Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara said of the film:
'We’re delighted to be opening this year’s festival with Killer Joe. For my first year as Artistic Director, I intend to deliver a diverse programme that will spotlight filmmaking of real artistic distinction. William Friedkin’s exhilarating, intense, and brilliantly crafted film is absolutely in keeping with this ambition.'
Killer Joe, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 20 Jun; EIFF, various venues around Edinburgh, Wed 20 Jun-Sun 1 Jul.