The 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival was being opened by the World Premiere of British film "The Legend of Barney Thomson" on Wednesday evening.

Starring Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, who also makes his directorial debut with the opening film, the delightful jet-black comedy tells about a downtrodden barber, Barney Thompson, whose mundane life is turned upside down when he accidentally turns killer. Shot in Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, the film also stars the Oscar-winning British actress Emma Thompson, who acts as Barney Thomson's hilariously fierce mother.

The 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival explores new ideas in cinema, inviting local and international audiences to engage with a dynamic program of fiction and documentary work, including 134 selected new features and 127 selected new shorts from 44 countries and regions, said the organizer.

Brotherhood of Blades (Xiu Chun Dao) from the Chinese mainland, Paradise in Service (Jun Zhong Le Yuan) from Taiwan, and It's Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, jointly produced by Hong Kong and the United States, are also among the films in the Festival program.

Awards at the film festival include Best International Feature Film, Best International Documentary Feature, the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, which is named in homage to one of Britain's most original filmmakers, the Student Critics Jury Award and the Audience Award, as well as the awards in the categories of animation and short film.

Mark Adams, Artistic Director of the Festvial, said: "Alongside a wonderful spread of news films and retrospectives, we'll be offering the chance to meet talent from the films" and "will be staging some enthralling and entertaining special events," stressing the commitment to supporting film education and young audiences.

The Festival will be closed by the Britain-Germany jointly made film "Iona", which is set against the stunning backdrop of the Inner Hebrides island of Iona in western Scotland, on the evening of June 28.

Established in 1947, the Edinburgh International Film Festival each year welcomes over 1,400 industry delegates, filmmakers and members of the press. Enditem

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