[attach id=261420 size="medium"]Felicity Jones had to spend hours learning to play the piano to perfect her role in Breathe In, the movie that opened the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire[/attach]

A European premiere attended by actors Brian Cox and Ewen Bremner kicked off the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) last night.

Breathe In, starring Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, was the first of almost 150 films being showcased at this year’s 12-day festival.

The movie tells the story of Sophie, played by Jones, a gifted young British exchange student who goes to stay with a family in New York and ends up having an affair with the father, a cello player and music teacher played by Pearce. It has been described as an emotionally intense portrait of relationships at breaking point.

Chris Fujiwara, the festival’s artistic director, said it was an ideal start to the 2013 festival.

He said: “Breathe In is a film that exhibits a lot of the qualities that I look for in films all the time from anywhere in the world.

“It’s beautifully subtle. It’s beautifully emotionally involving. There are layers in this film that are just unbelievable – of personality, relationship, feeling. It’s really a beautiful mood piece and this is something that I’m always drawn to in an film.

“I think it sets the tone wonderfully for the festival this year.”

Fujiwara was speaking on the red carpet at the opening night gala screening at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre.

He was joined at the premiere by Hollywood star Cox and Trainspotting actor Bremner, as well as Felicity Jones, Breathe In director Drake Doremus and EIFF patron Mark Cousins.

Jones previously revealed she spent hours learning to play the piano to perfect her role.

The 29-year-old star, who has also been seen in Chalet Girl, had to study the techniques of concert pianists as she worked on the film.

Her character gives some astounding piano recitals on screen in the film, which sees her teaming up again with director Doremus.

Speaking at the opening night, she said the process of creating the movie was a great experience.

“Drake and I worked together on a film called Like Crazy and so we already knew we had a really good working relationship,” she said.

“(Guy Pearce) is just tremendous. He’s absolutely committed to the work.”

Doremus said he was delighted the European premiere of the film was in Edinburgh, describing the capital as one of his favourite cities in the world.

The festival, the second led by Fujiwara, features a total of 146 films from 53 countries, including 14 world premieres, six international premieres and 10 European premieres.

Harry Potter favourite Emma Watson, Doctor Who star Karen Gillan and Game of Thrones actor Natalie Dormer will all have major new films screened at the event. Other big names include Ciaran Hinds, Sam Neill and Cillian Murphy.

Fujiwara has said the line-up builds on the success of last year’s festival which was praised for rejuvenating the event after criticism in 2011.

Highlights include the world premiere of Fire In The Night, due to be screened before the July 6 anniversary of the Piper Alpha North Sea oil rig disaster of 1988.

Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, starring Watson, will feature as part of an American Dreams strand highlighting independent US film.

The best of Scottish and British film will compete for the Michael Powell Award, including A Long Way From Home starring Natalie Dormer and The Sea starring Hinds and Charlotte Rampling.

A range of live-action films, animation and documentaries will be screened for the international feature film competition, highlighting the best in world cinema.

The work of acclaimed animator Richard Williams will be celebrated with a retrospective, as will that of French director Jean Gremillon and Hollywood director Richard Fleischer.

The festival will close with the world premiere of Scottish romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending.

Felicity Jones had to spend hours learning to play the piano to perfect her role in Breathe In, the movie that opened the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire