Film and TV stars ready for festival launch

The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has announced a number of exciting new additions to its high-profile line-up ahead of its opening night gala.

Award-winning filmmakers, acclaimed producers, on-screen stars and jurors will be attending next Wednesday, 20 June, including Kelly Macdonald, Ben Elton, Melissa George, Billie Piper, Sadie Frost and Samantha Morton.

Legendary Scottish director and writer Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) will attend the Festival for a special screening of his international hit film Local Hero on Tuesday, 26 June, which will be followed by a Q&A with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh’s artistic director David Greig as they work on the world premiere of the stage adaptation of this much-loved story.

Other notable guests set to attend the Festival will include star of this year’s Opening Night film Puzzle, actress Kelly Macdonald (T2 Trainspotting) alongside director Marc Turtletaub (producer of Little Miss Sunshine).

Comedian, screenwriter and director Ben Elton’s film Three Summers will receive its International Premiere at the Festival, and also joining the line-up are Scottish actor Ian Pirie (Calibre), actress Melissa George (The Good Wife), actress Beattie Edmondson (Bridget Jones’s Baby), daughter of comic legends Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson and star of Patrick, who will attend alongside the film’s director Mandie Fletcher (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie).

Billie Piper will attend this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival

Sadie Frost – who appears in Lucic and produced Two For Joy via her Blonde to Black production company – will attend along with her Two For Joy cast Samantha Morton (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Billie Piper (Doctor Who) and Daniel Mays (Rogue One). Actress Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena) will also attend the UK Premiere of Obey alongside director Jamie Jones (The Nest).

Director of the much-anticipated documentary Whitney, Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland); writer and director of Flammable Children (Swinging Safari) Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert); director and EIFF Honorary Patron Mark Cousins (Stockholm my Love) and from closing night film Swimming With Men, Daniel Mays, Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie); Thomas Turgoose (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) and Nathaniel Parker (Swords and Sceptres) will accompany previously announced guest Rob Brydon (The Trip) who will also take part in an In-Person Q&A.

Meanwhile, the previously announced Time Of The Signs retrospective will attract guests including Susan Seidelman (Smithereens), Lynne Littman (Testament), Deborah Dickson (Witnesses to a Secret War), Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts) and Jennie Livingstone (Paris is Burning) all in attendance to support and deliver a range of exclusive screenings and Q&A’s as part of this exciting and topical Retrospective programme.

A host of Canadian filmmaking talent will also be in town for the Festival’s Canada Focus strand including film director and screenwriter Wayne Wapeemukwa (Srorrim), whose feature film debut Luk’Luk’L, which won the Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian First, will screen while director of striking animated documentary WALL, Cam Christiansen (Athletes in Motion), written by and starring Sir David Hare (The Hours) – who will also take part in an In-Person Q&A on Monday 25 June, will also attend.

Confirmed for this year’s juries are friend of EIFF Jason Connery whose film Tommy’s Honour opened the 2016 Festival; acclaimed Romanian actress Ana Ularu (Inferno, and cult television series Emerald City) who also appears in short film Lift Share screening as part of the UK 2: Kaleidoscope strand; award-winning British actress Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum); Scottish actor Iain de Caestecker (Lost River) and Burkinabé film director Gaston Kabore (Wend Kunni).

Dublin International Film Festival artistic director Grainne Humphreys will also sit alongside respected film critics Kate Muir and Miriam Bale and legendary multi-award-winning Iranian actress Fatemeh (Simin) Motamed-Arya (Tale of the Sea).

This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival will be attended by writer, comedian and director Ben Elton

In-Person events will see Stephen Moyer (True Blood) marking his feature-film directorial debut for The Parting Glass, along with the film’s star, Anna Paquin (True Blood) discuss the film and their careers; award-winning playwright, screenwriter, theatre and film director, Sir David Hare will talk about his extensive career in cinema and theatre; talented and charismatic young actor George MacKay (Captain Fantastic), who is also in attendance for the UK premiere of The Secret of MarrowboneE will talk about his acting career, while much-loved Welsh comedian, actor, impressionist and presenter Rob Brydon will also talk about stand-up, television, impersonations and films.

In addition, Susan Wokoma and Mark Cousins will both take part in special In-Person Q&A’s as part of The Young & the Wild strand which is only open to The Young & the Wild passholders.

Mark Adams, artistic director said: ‘EIFF is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in cinema and continues to be an important hub for domestic and international filmmakers. We’re honoured to be welcoming so many guests from around the world to Edinburgh this June, each are singular talents who will add undisputed value to this year’s Festival line-up.’

For more information on this year’s EIFF or to purchase tickets click HERE.