The East End Film Festival announces its 2006 programme: Thursday 27 April - Thursday 4 May 2006

Richard E. Grant to introduce the London premiere of his directorial debut Wah-Wah, plus six UK premieres, masterclasses with award-winning filmmakers
and a selection of the best independent films from around the world ?
proving that East is everywhere!

Reflecting the creativity and diversity of one of London's most
characterful localities, the EAST END FILM FESTIVAL 2006 presents a week of
eclectic independent cinema from London's East End, Eastern Europe, the
Middle East, and the Far East ? without neglecting other compass points
like Rwanda, Swaziland, the North of England... and even Hollywood!

In partnership with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Hackney Council,
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, London Borough of Newham and Fusion
East, the East End Film Festival aims to provide East London cinema goers
with an extensive programme of features, documentaries, shorts and
masterclasses, with an emphasis on independent filmmaking. The festival
particularly endeavours to give a voice to local filmmakers and local
issues, hence included here is a showcase of films made by young people
from this quarter of the Capital. The East End Youth Programme (Sat 29
April, 10am, Genesis Mile End), plus shorts by undergraduate film students
from the area (Sat 29 April, 2pm, Genesis Mile End), as well as numerous
Q&A sessions, masterclasses, networking opportunities, and workshops will
help nurture the talents of future East London filmmakers.

The festival opens on Thursday 27 April with the London premiere of Wah-Wah
(6pm Genesis Mile End), the directorial debut feature from Richard E. Grant
. Best known for his work as an actor in offbeat classics like Withnail & I
and How To Get Ahead In Advertising, he has successfully turned his talents
to writing and directing. Largely inspired by his own turbulent adolescence
in 1960's Swaziland amidst the end of British colonisation, the result is
an engaging and poignant family drama that stars Gabriel Byrne, Emily
Watson, Miranda Richardson and Julie Walters. Not only will Richard
introduce the festival screening of Wah-Wah, but he will also act as the
festival Director In Residence. On Friday 28 April he'll take part in a Q&A
session and will introduce Robert Altman's 1975 masterpiece Nashville (4pm
Genesis Mile End).

This years Producer In Residence is Stephen Woolley. With roots in the East
End, he's since produced dozens of acclaimed films such as Fever Pitch and
Little Voice, whilst his long-established association with director Neil
Jordan has yielded classics like Interview With The Vampire and Breakfast
On Pluto. He recently made the transition to director with Rolling Stones
biopic Stoned. Stephen will take part in a Q&A following a screening of
Oscar-winning The Crying Game (Mon 1 May, 6pm, Genesis Mile End), for which
Stephen also received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

The festival is also delighted to welcome Tony Grisoni, whose screenplay
writing credits include Michael Winterbottom's In This World, and his Terry
Gilliam collaborations Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and Tideland. In his
Script To Screen masterclass (Tue 2 May, 6:15pm, Rio Cinema), he'll discuss
his most recent project, Brothers of The Head, a dark tale of a music
promoter who turns a pair of Siamese Twins into a freakish rock'n'roll act.