Edinburgh International Film Festival: Saoirse Ronan expected on red carpet as The Outrun is unveiled as opening gala

Hollywood film editor Thelma Shoonmaker to launch new short film prize at festival

Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan is to open this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival with the UK premiere of a new drama based on Orcadian writer Amy Liptrot's acclaimed memoir The Outrun.

The star of Ladybird, Brooklyn, Atonement and Little Women star is expected on the EIFF red carpet with Liptrot and director Nora Fingscheidt for the UK premiere of the film when the event returns in August under new director Paul Ridd.

The Irish-American actress has already won plaudits for her performance in The Out following previous premieres at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals.

Hollywood film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who worked with Martin Scorsese on Raging Bill, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street and Gangs of New Year, will also be at the festival to launch a new short film prize which will be named after her.

Liptrot's book describes her return to her native Orkney to rebuild her life after a decade in London where she has slipped into drug and alcohol addiction.

A new stage adaptation of The Outrun, which was published in 2016, has already been announced for the Edinburgh International Festival this August.

Olivier Award-winning playwright Stef Smith is joining forces with Vicky Featherstone, former artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, to create the play with the Royal Lyceum Theatre.

Saoirse Ronan leads the cast of The Outrun, the film based on Amy Liptrot's acclaimed memoir, sees her play a woman returning to her native Orkney to try to leave her troubled life of drug and alcohol addiction in London behind her. Picture: Roy Imer

The Outrun is the first major production to be confirmed for the rebooted film festival, which will run between 15 and 21 August.

The family of the late Sir Sean Connery, a long-time EIFF patron, has already agreed to back a major new feature filmmaking prize which will be launched this summer.

Mr Ridd has also announced that the festival will staging events in Fringe venues this summer, including Summerhall, while the event will be making a return to the Cameo cinema in Tollcross, one of its oldest venues.

The Outrun, which also stars Stephen Dillane, Nabil Elouahabi, Paapa Essiedu and Danyal Ismail, was shot largely on location in Orkney after being backed to the tune of £500,000 by the Scottish Government’s film and TV agency, Screen Scotland.

Saoirse Ronan leads the cast of The Outrun, the film based on Amy Liptrot's acclaimed memoir, sees her play a woman returning to her native Orkney to try to leave her troubled life of drug and alcohol addiction in London behind her.

Mr Ridd said: “The Outrun is a truly special film.

“Powered by an electric and fearless central performance by Saoirse Ronan, this is lyrical, momentous cinema of real rigour 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 honoured to be working with such phenomenal women of cinema.”

Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland, one of the film festival’s main funders, said: “It’s great to see Paul set out his ambition for the relaunched EIFF with such a significant title for Scotland.

“Orkney’s primal beauty and unique natural landscape is at the heart of things, not only as the setting but as the source of redemption, courage and healing.“Nora’s exceptional talent, combined with Amy Liptrot’s raw, imaginative writing and Saoirse Ronan’s breathtaking performance make for a compelling and emotional ride.

"And it seems fitting, for a festival that intends to work with its creative partners across the festivals that this hugely successful creative collaboration should take centre stage.”