A MOVIE about musical icon Morrissey will bring down the curtain on this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) as it marks its 70th anniversary.
Organisers unveiled part of the 2017 programme, which features a selection of Scottish movies, filmmakers and acting talent as well as productions from elsewhere This year’s opening and closing shows will focus on life in northern England, with romantic drama God’s Own Country, as well as England is Mine, which is about the former frontman of The Smiths.
A large number of items on the programme were filmed and set in Scotland, such as Waterboys, Edie and The Dark Mile.
An 80th anniversary screening of The Edge of the World, Michael Powell’s first major feature, will be shown in Edinburgh University’s FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility wave tank. During the event, the tank will mimic the seascapes shown in the tale about an evacuation of a remote island community off the Scottish coast.
EIFF artistic director Mark Adams said: “Scottish talent has always been at the heart of the festival and I am thrilled to once again illuminate the great work that currently exists within the country.
“The quality, variety and breadth of this year’s programme is a true testament to the high level of craftsmanship in past and present Scottish film.”
The dual Scottish talents of author Ian Rankin and director John McKay can be seen at a showing of Reichenbach Falls. It was directed by McKay, written by James Mavor and based on Rankin’s novel of the same name.
Audiences can also preview hit Gaelic TV show Bannan, which was filmed on Skye. The BBC Alba show follows a woman returning to the island she left when she was 18, blending elements of family drama and murder mystery.
Numerous Scottish shorts will be on show including Natalie, staring Game of Thrones actress Kate Dickie, and No Song to Sing, produced by Trainspotting star Ewen Bremner. Natalie Usher, director of screen at Creative Scotland, said: “It’s great to see EIFF giving a high-profile platform to Scotland’s home-grown film-making talent across features, short films, documentaries and animation.
“As one of the key cultural events in Scotland, EIFF’s recognition and celebration of Scottish talent in its 2017 programme is very welcome, helping to showcase the strength and depth of Scottish film.”
The main programme will be announced by Adams at Edinburgh Filmhouse on May 31 with the festival running from June 21 to July 2.
Singer-songwriter Steven Patrick Morrissey was born on May 22, 1969, and rose to prominence as the lead singer of the indie rock band The Smiths which he formed in 1982 with guitarist Johnny Marr. Their self-titled debut album released in 1984 soon attracted national recognition with hits such as What Difference Does it Make.
Personal differences between Morrissey and Marr resulted in The Smiths’ separation in 1987 and Morrisey went to to forge a solo career.
Inaugurated in 1947, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is the world’s longest-running festival of its kind. Until 2008 it was held in August at the same time as the Edinburgh International Festival but was moved to June and July in 2008.
Hannah McGill, the Film Festival’s artistic director at the time, made the decision to avoid clashes with the International festival as well as the Fringe and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, also held in August, to give more prominence to the Film Festival in its own right.
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