John Maclean studied fine art in Edinburgh and at London's Royal College of Art. His painting background can be felt in his feature film debut Slow West, which won the Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Festival. This revisionist western about a young man in search of his love in the American West is a continuation of the director's collaboration with Irish actor Michael Fassbender, who produced two of Maclean's earlier short films: Man on a Motorcycle (2009), shot using a mobile telephone, and Pitch Black Heist (2011), which was screened at the Prague Short Film Festival and also won a BAFTA award. In both films, Fassbender played the lead role. He returns as actor and producer on Maclean's debut, which the director calls "more of a European road movie than a western." A founding member of the Scottish rock band The Beta Band, Maclean tried to avoid western clichés by leaning towards surrealism and fairy-tale elements.
50. MFF Karlovy Vary
