The relaunched 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) will open with the UK premiere of The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan.
The film, directed by Nora Fingscheidt, had its world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival in January.
Adapted from Amy Liptrot's best-selling memoir, The Outrun follows a young woman (Ronan) who finds herself back in the Scottish islands of Orkney. There, she tries to piece her life back together after a decade-long battle with addiction.
Ronan is best known for her performances in Brooklyn (2015), Lady Bird (2017), and Little Women (2019). The BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated actor is a producer for the film alongside Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, and the Scottish actor Jack Lowden.
In a statement, EIFF Director Paul 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.”
Furthermore, EIFF also announced the name of its short film competition, The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence. Schoonmaker, who will attend this year's festival, is a celebrated editor known for her frequent collaborations with Martin Scorsese. Her credits include Raging Bull (1980) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
“I have been a fan of Nora Fingscheidt's uncompromising, emotional filmmaking ever since her debut System Crasher” added Ridd, “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.”
The Outrun will be subsequently released in cinemas by Studiocanal in the UK and Ireland on 27th September 2024.
