Hallam Foe is Edinburgh headliner

Festival opener stars Jamie Bell and Sophia Myles

Jun 20 2007

This August the 61st Edinburgh International Film Festival will open with Scottish writer/director David Mackenzie’s thought-provoking film, 'Hallam Foe'.

'Billy Elliot' star Jamie Bell slips off his dancing shoes to play a voyeuristic (i.e. pervy) teenager who’s driven to find out why his mother committed suicide.

He eventually escapes from his confined existence when he lands himself a job in an Edinburgh hotel.

Myles (currently best-known for being David Tennant’s arm candy) plays Kate, a young woman Hallam becomes obsessed with because of her resemblance to his dead mother.

Other stars in the film include Claire Forlani, Ciáran Hinds and Ewen Bremner.

Scottish-born director Mackenzie, whose previous body of work includes 'Young Adam' and 'Asylum' adapted the screenplay with Ed Whitmore from Scotsman Peter Jinks’ novel.

The Festival’s Artistic Director Hannah McGill said: 'Hallam Foe is a stunning achievement by all concerned – a film with an unforgettable atmosphere and some of the finest performances of the year. We're enormously proud to have the film open what we anticipate to be a landmark film festival.'

The film will hit cinemas throughout the UK on 31 August.

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