COMMERCIAL pressures can encourage conservative programming but you cannot maintain a festival's reputation by playing safe. Edinburgh International Film Festival commands respect as an international festival of discovery precisely because it takes risks.

Artistic director Shane Danielsen has made it a badge of honour that he avoids the obvious and never underestimates an audience hungry for the unfamiliar. His philosophy is most striking this year in a British Gala section that eschews big-name titles in favour of lesser-known, lower-budget productions. In the case of London To Brighton, that means the chance to celebrate the emergence of a thrilling new talent in writer/director Paul Andrew Williams.

The skill of London To Brighton lies in the way it takes well-worn plot elements and transforms them into something exciting and compelling through sheer cinematic skill. It has an immediacy and confidence that grips from the opening moment in London just after 3am. A prostitute and a young girl are on the run and clearly fear for their lives. Violence has taken place. Retribution seems inevitable. They head to Brighton but cannot escape from what has happened or the fact that there will be consequences.

The bond between them is reminiscent of John Cassavetes' Gloria, the world they inhabit has a taste of Neil Jordan's Mona Lisa, the brutality is on a par with Gangster No 1. All these influences are apparent but the film never feels jaded and secures emotional involvement thanks to heartfelt performances and Williams' assured direction.