The British director Mike Figgis (Stormy Monday, Leaving Las Vegas, Hotel) will be a guest of the 9^th IFF ERA NEW HORIZONS in Wrocław (23 July - 2 August 2009).

 On the 25^th July, Figgis will present his four-screen Timecode (2000), mixing sound and music live. Timecode will be presented within the education and discussion cycle - New Horizons of Film Language, presenting changes in editing in contemporary cinema.

Timecode shows four versions of the same events, happening at the same time and place, but seen by different characters. All stories are projected simultaneously on a screen divided into four parts.

By mixing the soundtrack live, Figgis proves against stereotypes that cinema editing is never finished and closed - and that a film is always a 'work in progress'.

 After the screening, there will be a discussion with the director and the cycle's moderators. Due to its nature of improvisation - the presentation is in English only!

 Mike Figgis - director, producer, musician, and author. He was born in Carlisle, Great Britain in 1948, but he spent his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya. Upon his return to the Isles, he played in many rock bands with other musicians, e.g. Bryan Ferry and he studied music. He performed and recorded with the Gas Board group. In the 1980s he wrote and directed theatre plays and he acted at The People Show theatre. He graduated from the Britain's National Film School and in 1984; he made the short film The House, supported by the Channel 4 TV station.

His debut was the feature Stormy Monday (1988), starring Sting, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Bean, and Melanie Griffith. This film gained Figgis renown and opened the gates of Hollywood for him. In the 1990s he directed more films, including Internal Affairs (1990), starring Andy Garcia and Richard Gere, and The Browning Version (1994), starring Albert Finney, Greta Scacchi and Matthew Modine.

Figgis's most famous film is Leaving Las Vegas (1995) he directed, wrote the screenplay, and composed the music for it. It was nominated for many prestigious film awards, including four nominations for a Golden Globe and two Oscar nominations. Nicholas Cage, who played the main character, won an Oscar and Golden Globe for the best actor as the leading role.

In 1999 Figgis started the truly avant-garde period of his artistic career, making the multi-screen production Miss Julie based on Strindberg's work, for which he obtained the Golden Shell in San Sebastian. He directed many film experiments, e.g. Timecode (2000) and Hotel (2001). Figgis, a director, and former musician at a time, he especially focuses on the choice and preparation of soundtracks for his films.

 Mike Figgis - Timecode live mix, 25^th July, Saturday, 4.15 p.m.; Helios cinema, hall No. 9