Red carpet rolls out for EIFF's 71st edition

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 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.