EDINBURGH, Scotland - Actor Richard E. Grant was walking up the red carpet for the first time as a director Wednesday, the opening night of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Grant, whose semi-autobiographical feature "Wah-Wah" is receiving its world premiere at the festival, said he was feeling "probably as you would imagine - slightly constipated, terrified, exuberant, exhilarated."

Inspired by Grant’s childhood in the tiny southern African country of Swaziland, "Wah-Wah" traces a boy’s coming-of-age alongside the ending of British colonial rule in the 1960s. It stars Gabriel Byrne, Emily Watson and "About a Boy" co-star Nicholas Hoult.

One of a series of arts festivals that dominate the Scottish capital each August, the film festival runs through Aug. 28. Launched in 1947, it claims to be the world’s longest continually running film festival.

"People are so encouraging and come to find something that’s new," said Grant, who gained fame starring in 1980s slacker classic "Withnail and I." "We couldn’t ask for a better launch."

This year’s festival also features the world premiere of "Serenity," the feature version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon’s short-lived TV series "Firefly."

Other highlights include "Land of the Dead" - George Romero’s sequel to zombie classic "Night of the Living Dead" - and "Green Street," which stars "Lord of the Rings" actor Elijah Wood as a young American turned British soccer hooligan.