Scots director’s debut among prestigious seven chosen for Cannes

A Scottish director’s debut is one of seven films chosen for a prestigious programme at Cannes Film Festival.

Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun has been chosen from over 2500 films to be shown at the prestigious Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival.

The movie, chosen from 1100 feature-length movies and 1700 shorts submitted, has also been included in the BFI showcase of British movies that will be screened at the festival, which begins on Tuesday.

Aftersun, starring Irish actor Paul Mescal from Normal People fame, accessed Scottish Government funding through Screen Scotland’s Film Production and Development Fund. 

The film has also been selected to feature in the Great8 Showcase at the annual film festival.

The movie’s synopsis reads: “Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father 20 years earlier.

“Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father, she knew with the man she didn’t.”

Kieran Hannigan, head of scripted at Screen Scotland said: “With Aftersun, writer/director Charlotte Wells and producers Amy Jackson and Adele Romanski have created a delicate and profoundly moving piece.

“It is a stunning debut that confidently announces a huge talent.

“We are delighted to support Charlotte and the team and it is incredibly exciting that the film has been chosen to screen in the prestigious critics’ week programme and in the Great 8 showcase at Cannes.”

Briony Hanson, the British council’s director of film says: “It feels like another banner year for UK talent with a range of first and second features about to complete that are going to knock the socks off international audiences.

“It’s especially gratifying to see that they come from filmmakers working all around the UK and speaking from really diverse perspectives.

“This is another GREAT8 we can be really excited about.”