The Edinburgh International Film Festival got off to a glamorous start as the cast of the Opening Night Film Wah-Wah graced the red carpet, prior to the screening at Cineworld. Director Richard E. Grant, actors Gabriel Byrne, Emily Watson, Nicholas Hoult, Sid Mitchell, Olivia Grant and Julian Wadham were all in attendance for the film's sold-out World Premiere.

“...Terrified, exuberant, and exhilarated,” was how Grant described his mood just before the premiere of his directorial debut, which is a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood in Swaziland at the end of the colonial era.

Actor Brian Cox and his wife Nicole Ansari arrived at the premiere just after the Wah-Wah cast.

“This is one of the best festivals there is. It’s a really, really good festival,” said Cox, who is in Scotland shooting a film. “It’s good to be making a film in Scotland, and at a Scottish film festival.”

Also seen on the red carpet this evening was Anthony Minghella, just off the plane from South Africa, who in advance of his Reel Life interview tomorrow, said that he is “very, very, happy to be here.”

Other people present included First Minister Jack McConnell, Patricia Ferguson MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, actress Una McLean, and playwright Liz Lochhead.

All in all, it was a fantastic start to twelve days of amazing films, events and more!