At this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival Scotland, its films and those shot here will be featured from the very first moment.
The opening film PUZZLE stars Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald and there will also be features, shorts, documentaries, animations and talent from across Scotland.
EIFF Artistic Director Mark Adams said: “Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema and Scottish talent has always been at the heart of that. The Festival’s programme always helps shine the light on to Scottish themes, performances and filmmakers, and I am thrilled that once again we can celebrate this high-level of craftsmanship in past and present Scottish work in our 72nd year.”
Scott Donaldson, Acting Director of Screen at Creative Scotland said: “We are incredibly proud of the strength and depth of Scottish talent showcased in this year’s EIFF Programme. As ever the dedicated team at EIFF have pulled together a dynamic and exciting selection of Scottish titles across many different genres, from feature films and documentaries to animation and artists film. We look forward to Scottish audiences getting a chance to enjoy, be inspired by and celebrate these films.”
Other films will include Anna and the Apocalypse shot in and around Glasgow, Calibre which was shot in Beecraigs Country Park pretending to be the Highlands and starting Jack Lowden who was in Dunkirk.
Make Me Up is pop-art drama produced by Glasgow based video artist Rachel Maclean, Whitney and Almost Fashionable : A Film About Travis, both of which are documentaries. Fran Healy the front man of Travis directed the film about the band and they will be in Edinburgh for the film’s world premiere. Another film which will premiere here is Dirt Road to Lafayette written by James Kelman and following a Scottish father and son’s journey to North Alabama to visit their relatives.
One other stand out which will be worth a watch will be Meeting Jim by Ece Ger. This is the story of Jim Haynes who co-founded the Traverse Theatre and who was part of the Fringe story too. EIFF Honorary Patron Mark Cousins brings two of his projects to the festival with The Eyes of Orson Welles and Storm in My Heart.
Tommy Flanagan along with EIFF Honorary Patron James Cosmo will feature in Papillon and In Darkness. We met Flanagan last year when he was Grand Marshal of the New York City Tartan Day Parade, although it is not clear if he will be coming to Edinburgh next month.
Local cycling legend David Millar will be on hand to present Finlay Pretsell’s, Time Trial, followed by an extended Q&A with Millar and TV presenter Ned Boulting. Scottish director, Bill Forsyth will also introduce a screening of his classic film, LOCAL HERO, and participate in an extended Q&A with Royal Lyceum Theatre Artistic Director David Greig.
This is only a small part of what will be available to go and see in June.
The full programme of the 72nd Edinburgh International Film Festival will be announced by EIFF Artistic Director, Mark Adams, on Wednesday 23 May.
Tickets go on sale to Filmhouse Members on Wednesday 23 May at 12noon and on sale to the public on Friday 25 May at 10am.
For more information on this year’s Festival visitwww.edfilmfest.org.uk.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
