Red carpet rolls out for EIFF's 71st edition

Stars attend UK premiere of God's Own Country

by Amber Wilkinson

Ian Hart, Manon Ardisson, Josh O' Connor, Francis Lee, Alec Secareanu and Gemma Jones on the red carpet for God's Own Country
Ian Hart, Manon Ardisson, Josh O' Connor, Francis Lee, Alec Secareanu and Gemma Jones on the red carpet for God's Own Country Photo: Courtesy of EIFF
The 71st edition (and 70th anniversary) of Edinburgh Film Festival got under way last night, with the UK premiere of God's Own Country.

The film, which charts the gay romance between a Yorkshire sheep farmer and a migrant farmhand, has featured at a string of festivals since it had it's world premiere in Sundance.

It is the feature debut of actor-turned-director Francis Lee, who was in attendance along with cast members Josh O'Connor, Alec Secareanu, Ian Hart and Gemma Jones.

Richard E Grant
Richard E Grant Photo: Courtesy of EIFF
Mark Adams, EIFF artistic director, said: "In the Festival's 70th Anniversary Year, we're proud to be showcasing some of the most exciting, accomplished material from around the world and are looking forward to hosting these talented filmmakers and artists."

Among the other stars in attendance at the opening night were actors Richard E Grant, Bernard Hill and Ewan Bremner, along with a wealth of other Scottish talent including Swallows And Amazons screenwriter Andrea Gibb.

Hill and Gibb are members of the Michael Powell Jury, which will honour the best British film at the festival. They are joined on the jury by composer David Arnold, actress Shauna Macdonald, Dallas International Film Festival artistic director James Faust and International Film Festival Rotterdam artistic director Bero Beyer.

Share this with others on...
News

Underrepresented stories Laura Green and Anna Moot-Levin on Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s

Between strangers Anthony Chen in capturing emotion in Drift

Art of observation Matthäus Wörle on his collaborative approach to debut documentary Where We Used To Sleep

Gateway between worlds Anu Valia on expectations, reality and We Strangers

The little things Inside the 2024 Glasgow Short Film Festival

Choosing her colours Joe Lawlor and Christine Malloy on Rose Dugdale and Baltimore

Louis Gosset Jr dies at 87 Oscar-winning star had a screen career spanning 66 years

More news and features

Interact

More competitions coming soon.