EIFF to open with Robert Carlyle's directorial debut
Edinburgh International Film Festival has revealed its 69th edition will open with the world premiere of The Legend of Barney Thomson, the directorial debut from Scottish actor Robert Carlyle.
The Trainspotting and Full Monty star is an EIFF patron and familiar face at the festival, most recently appearing there in 2012 with the bittersweet romantic comedy California Solo. “After a career-long association with EIFF it gives me enormous pleasure to have The Legend of Barney Thomson chosen as opening night film,” said Carlyle. “It really is such an honour for me to have my first feature as director premiered here in Edinburgh at the festival that has played such a huge part in my life."
Based on Douglas Lindsay’s 2011 novel The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson, Carlyle stars in the film as the title character, an awkward barber who inadvertently stumbles into serial murder. The comedy of errors co-stars Emma Thompson, who plays Barney’s mother, and Ray Winstone as the local police inspector investigating the killings. The Glasgow-set black comedy also features Tom Courtenay, Ashley Jensen, Martin Compston, Brian Pettifer, Kevin Guthrie, James Cosmo, Stephen McCole and Samuel Robertson. The screenplay is by Colin McLaren and Richard Cowan.
Mark Adams, EIFF's new artistic director, said: “We are thrilled to be opening this year’s festival with Robert Carlyle’s wonderful black comedy. It is a marvellously macabre and playful film, impressively directed and with a terrific cast. It is the perfect film to kick off what promises to be an exciting festival.”
EIFF rolls out the red carpet for The Legend of Barney Thomson at the Festival Theatre on 17 June – tickets go on sale tomorrow.
The festival runs till 28 June and, as was previously revealed, will feature retrospectives looking at the early films of Walter Hill and the great American TV movies made during the late 60s and 70s. The full programme is launched on 27 May.