A CELEBRATION of Scotland will form a major plank of this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF).

The programme, unveiled yesterday, will showcase a rich selection of Scottish films, filmmakers, acting talent and films shot in Scotland, from features to documentaries, short and animations.

The 72nd edition of the festival will run from June 20 until July 1.

The event will open with a spellbinding performance by acclaimed Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald in the highly regarded drama Puzzle.

There will be screenings of the much-anticipated cult comedic horror-musical Anna and the Apocalypse, which was largely shot in and around Glasgow, and the thriller Calibre, starring Scottish actor Jack Lowden and in which Beecraigs Country Park, near Linlithgow, stands in for the Highlands.

EIFF audiences can look forward to seeing Scottish-produced pop-art drama Make Me Up by Glasgow-based video artist Rachel Maclean; the much-anticipated documentary Whitney, directed by Kevin Macdonald; and Almost Fashionable: A Film About Travis, a documentary directed by Fran Healy, the front man of Scottish band Travis. He and other band members will be in attendance for the film’s world premiere.

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.

"We look forward to Scottish audiences getting a chance to enjoy, be inspired by and celebrate these films.”