22/04/2016 - World premiere of "Whisky Galore!" to close EIFF 2016

The remake of the Scottish-set Ealing Studios 1949 classic will close the 70th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The World premiere of Whisky Galore! will be closing the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 26. 

The remake of the 1949 classic comedy is directed by Gillies MacKinnon (Castles in the Sky) tells the story of a group of Scottish islanders as they try to plunder 50,000 cases of whisky from a stranded ship. 

It was shot on location entirely in Scotland, and features a cast of well-known Scottish actors, including Gregor Fisher, Kevin Guthrie and James Cosmo alongside Eddie Izzard, who plays the role of the uptight Home Guard Captain Waggett, played by the great Basil Radford in the original Ealing Studios version directed by Alexander Mackendrick. 

Edinburgh International Film Festival Artistic Director Mark Adams said: “We are absolutely delighted to be staging the world premiere of Whisky Galore! as closing night of this year’s festival. It is a delightful adaptation of a much-loved classic and will wrap up our 70th edition in memorable style.” 

The 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival runs from the 15th to the 26th of June. For more information, go to https://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/