Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan hunted for witch role

By Clare Carswell

The lead role in a film about Scotland’s most notorious witch will hopefully be played by Doctor Who’s, Karen Gillan, if screenwriter, David Ness has his way. 

Ness who lives in Nairn, has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names and has had his most recent screenplay about Scottish witch, Isobel Gowdie snapped up by a production company.

Ness, who is also a lecturer in sociology, philosophy and English literature at the University of the Highlands and Islands, was inspired by Gowdie, who was tried for witchcraft in 1662.  The confession that she gave is considered to provide the most detailed insight into European witchcraft folklore.

In the film, Ness intends use the 17^th century story as the basis for a contemporary tale of a young girl who is distressed by the loss of her mother.  The character is haunted by a woman from the time of Isobel Gowdie’s life, therefore providing a link back to the original story.

Garden Centre Support Grows With Oscars Star Tilda Swinton

By Cara Sulieman

OSCAR winning Scots actress Tilda Swinton is backing a campaign to save her local garden centre from closure.

Moray Council plan to spend more than £40 million on developing the Forres flood alleviation project.

But local firm Mackenzie and Cruikshank say the project – which goes to inquiry next week – would force them to close their doors after almost 130 years in business.

The garden centre sits on the site of the new project and will lose land as well being surrounded by engineering works for two years.

Its owners say that would leave them with no option but to shut up shop.

Leading lady Swinton tipped for second Oscar

By Rory Reynolds

FILM critics have tipped Scots star Tilda Swinton for a second Oscar after a blazing performance in her latest screen role.

The 49-year-old has received critical acclaim for her performance in Julia as a boozy party girl caught up in a kidnap plot.

The role, which sees the real-life teetotaller launch into alcoholic rages, impressed critics, despite not faring well at the box office.

US film guru Roger Ebert – whose column is published in more than 200 titles, said: “Julia is the most striking performance in the Tilda Swinton’s exciting career.

“She gave the best performance by an actress in 2009.

Tilda Swinton to present special Culloden battle screening

By Rory Reynolds

SCOTS Oscar winner Tilda Swinton is to present a special screening of the 1964 film Culloden – at the site of the battle where the Jacobite army was originally crushed.

And audiences are to wear black tartan in memory of the Highland troops slaughtered there in 1746.

The acclaimed docu-drama, which shocked many viewers at the time, was filmed in the style of a modern news report to draw parallels with the war reports coming out of Vietnam.

48-year-old Swinton and filmmaker Mark Cousins are hoping to focus audiences’ minds on those killed during current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She said: “The battle itself took just over an hour, as does the film.

“Imagine how moving it would be if we could get permission to show the film at Culloden itself.

Edinburgh International Film Festival programme launched

By Oliver Farrimond

A STAR-STUDDED programme for the Edinburgh International Film Festival was officially unveiled yesterday at the Capital’s Filmhouse cinema.

Festival patrons Tilda Swinton, Seamus McGarvey and Sir Sean Connery will also return for the event, which runs from 17-28 June.

No fewer than 23 films will have their world premieres at the renowned festival, which will include a special showcase on the work of celebrated Scottish film-makers Peter MacDougall and John Mackenzie.

Scots audiences can look forward to a number of Scottish feature films being screened, including a new film from “Hallam Foe” director David Mackenzie, titled “Spread”.