NEW films by and starring Oscar winning actress Brie Larson, Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Jon Hamm and Guy Pearce are to be shown at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Unveiling this year's full programme, director Mark Adams has curated a programme with 121 new films, including 21 world premieres, from 48 countries, with more than 260 films in total.
The opening and closing films, Puzzle starring Kelly Macdonald in an "empowering movie", and Swimming with Men, have already been announced, as have a raft of Scottish films, including Dirt Road to Lafayette, penned by Booker Prize winning Scottish author James Kelman, and new thriller Calibre.
KELLY MACDONALD FILM TO OPEN FESTIVAL
In a year in which the imbalance of gender representation in the movie industry has increasingly been highlighted, the June festival features 115 films, short or feature length, directed or co-directed by women.
There are 35 feature films directed by women in the programme, and 19 are in competition, a spokeswoman said.
Larson's directorial debut, Unicorn Store will be shown, as well as The Negotiator, starring Jon Hamm, Terminal, produced and starring Margot Robbie, and Hearts Beat Loud, starring Nick Offerman, and The Incredibles 2.
Documentaries beings shown include Mark Cousins' The Eyes of Orson Welles and Almost Fashionable: A Film About Travis by its lead singer, Fran Healy.
George MacKay, the British actor who starred in Sunshine on Leith and will be the subject of an In-Person session, will star in the "brooding and atmospheric drama The Secret of Marrowbone.
INCREDIBLES SEQUEL ALL SET FOR EDINBURGH
Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce will be starring in the "completely bonkers" Australian comedy Flammable Children - it is unclear whether Ms Minogue will be able to attend the festival in June.
Other In Person events include appearances by the lauded writer and director David Hare, and the star of Swimming with Men, Rob Brydon.
This year’s People’s Gala will be the World Premiere of Stephen Moyer’s directorial debut, The Parting Glass, starring Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, Denis O’Hare, Anna Paquin (who also produces), Rhys Ifans and Ed Asner.
Mr Moyer and Ms Paquin will also take part in an In Person event.
More screenings this year will take place at the Vue Omni cinema at the top of Leith Walk.
Mark Adams, the Artistic Director in his fourth year, said: “EIFF prides itself on offering films and events that entertain, challenge, provoke, illuminate and excite and 2018 is no exception.
"From the best of up-and-coming British filmmakers to striking new cinema from around the world, we offer something for everyone: from rare access to filmmakers, live events to experience and the opportunity to see films that may never appear in the country again."
He added: "There's a nice, rich variety of [Scottish] films in there.
"Obviously there were two big Scottish films that we were tracking, which sadly aren't available, Mary, Queen of Scots [with Saoirse Ronan in the title role] and [David Mackenzie's] Outlaw King, which are just not ready or available."
British films being shown include Two for Joy, starring Samantha Morton and Billie Piper, Lucid, starring Billy Zane and Sadie Frost, the comedy Songbird starring Cobie Smulders, and Haifaa al-Mansour’s Mary Shelley, with Elle Fanning taking on the role of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin.
There will be a strand of screenings dedicated to a focus on Canada, as well as animation and a free lecture series, Reel Talk.
A number of special events will take place throughout the Festival including Jaws in Concert, a screening of Steven Spielberg’s seminal blockbuster with John Williams’ score played live by the RSNO, and screening of Local Hero followed by a Q&A with writer director Bill Forsyth in conversation with Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh’s Artistic Director, David Greig.
The festival will run from June 20 to July 1.
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