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| The Outrun Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute |
The drama, based on Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir of the same name, sees recovering alcoholic Rona (Ronan) retreat to her family home on the Orkney islands as she tries to come to terms with her past.
The film is directed by Nora Fingscheidt (System Crasher) and Ronan, who co-produced the film, will attend the festival with the director, Liptrot and the film's additional producers Sarah Brocklehurst and Dominic Norris.
EIFF director Paul Ridd described the film as "truly special".
He added: “Powered by an electric and fearless central performance by Saoirse Ronan, this is lyrical, momentous cinema of real rigor and intelligence, and exactly the kind of bold work we want to champion with our relaunched festival.
“I have been a fan of Nora Fingscheidt’s uncompromising, emotional filmmaking ever since her debut System Crasher and I can think of no more fitting combination of announcements than this wonderful film as our opening with the confirmation of the legendary Thelma Schoonmaker’s gracious support for our shorts prize. We are honored to be working with such phenomenal women of cinema.”
EIFF has also revealed its short film competition will be named The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence in honour of the world famous editor, whose collaborations with Martin Scorsese have included Goodfellas and Killers Of The Flower Moon.
The full EIFF program will be launched on Thursday, July 4 when tickets will also go on sale.
The festival will run from August 15 to 21
