Between Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 June Edinburgh's St John's Church Hall will be the setting for the Paradise Movie Hall screening seven classics of West Bengali cinema. The Paradise Movie Hall is supported by the British Council and Scottish Government.

The hall itself will be transformed into a magical forest cinema, full of the sounds of monkeys and the smell of banyan trees. It promises to be a cinematic experience to remember.

The films showing include a pair of works by the legendary director Satyajit Ray - Devi and Days and Nights in the Forest - and Tapan Sinha - Nirjan Saikate and Wheel Chair.

Ritwik Ghatak's Cloud Capped Star and A River Called Titas, along with Anup Singh's The Name of a River, complete the selection.

There will also be a special appearance by Bollywood legend Sharmila Tagore for an on-stage interview by curator Mark Cousins, who was thrilled that EIFF will host the Paradise Movie Hall.

"We're showing West Bengali films in that little forest cinema because the creative heart of Indian cinema is in West Bengal," he commented.

"We invited the first lady of Bengali cinema, Sharmila Tagore, because she's a legend and her career is unique. We're totally thrilled.

"She can tell us first hand about Indian cinema's Chekhov, Satyajit Ray, and the great Tapan Sinha. She can open a window of the world on the great Bengali films. In our wee makeshift Paradise Movie Hall. How great is that? This is what film festivals are for."

Tickets for the Paradise Movie Hall screenings and events go on sale at midday on Friday 8 May. The full EIFF programme will be announced on Wednesday 6 May.