Irish feature ‘Wide Open Spaces’, penned by Arthur Mathews (Father Ted) and directed by Tom Hall (Bachelors Walk), will receive its World Premiere screening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival taking place from June 17 – 28.
The film has been selected to screen in the Rosebud discovery strand of the Scottish festival which features “first and second works from the directors to watch”.
‘Wide Open Spaces’, a belated coming of age comedy set in a remote part of Ireland, stars Ewen Bremner (Fool’s Gold), Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted) and Owen Roe (Alarm). The film is a co-production between Irish company Grand Pictures (The Race) and Scottish company Mead Kerr (Night People) with funding from Bord Scannain na hEireann (The Irish Film Board), Scottish Screen, RTÉ and BBC Scotland.
Other Irish talent to see their films screen at the festival include Brian Percival’s ‘A Boy Called Dad’, starring Charlene McKenna (Raw) and ‘Fish Tank’ by Andrea Arnold starring Michael Fassbender (Hunger) and with cinematography by Robbie Ryan (Brick Lane). Irish resident Rebecca Miller will also have her new film ‘The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee’ screen. The film was lensed by Irish DOP Declan Quinn (Rachel Getting Married).
The Edinburgh festival will also host a range of British and international premieres including Sam Mendes ‘Away We Go’ which will open the festival, Jan Dunn’s ‘The Calling’, Duncan Ward’s ‘Boogie Woogie’ and Jonathan Auf Der Heide’s ‘Van Diemen’s Land’.