Festival of New British Film to Take Place in Saint Petersburg on April 9-16 - 8 April, 2003

The fourth running of the Festival of New British Film will be held at Dom Kino [House of Cinema] in Saint Petersburg on April 9-16. The festival is being organised by the British Council. The festival will include 12 new British films, most of which have never been seen in Russian cinemas before. This year, for the first time, the festival is scheduled to open a day earlier in Saint Petersburg than in Moscow.

As Director of the British Council in Saint Petersburg Alison Cutts said at a press conference 'the festival of British film is a part of the British programme of events for the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg.' Viewers have asked that certain films be shown without translation during the day. All of the films were produced over the last two years and only a few of them have already been bought by Russian distributors.

The film The Magdalene Sisters, which has caused a scandal and has been fiercely criticized by the Vatican, will be shown at the opening of the festival. The film is about Irish girls who were abused by Catholic nuns during the 1960s. British actress Dorothy Duffy, who played one of the leading roles in the film, is expected to arrive at the premiere in Saint Petersburg. Other films to be shown include All or nothing by Mike Lee, Hotel by Mike Figgis and others.