The world premiere of Silent Roar, the debut feature from Scottish writer and director, Johnny Barrington will open the 2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) taking place from August 18 – 23, 2023. The Festival will close with the UK premiere of Fremont, directed by BAFTA-nominated director Babak Jalali (whose debut Frontier Blues played EIFF in 2010).
A teenage tale of surfing, sex and hellfire set in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, Silent Roar stars newcomer Louis McCartney as Dondo, a young surfer struggling to accept his father’s recent disappearance at sea. Caught up in grief, he is brought to his senses by rebellious crush Sas (Ella Lily Hyland), a high achiever who dreams of escaping the island. When an oddly-behaved new minister arrives on the island, Dondo begins to have cosmic visions…
Silent Roar is the first feature film from BAFTA-nominated writer and director Johnny Barrington, and has been produced by Scottish producer Chris Young (The Inbetweeners Movie). The film was shot in the beautiful surroundings of Uig, on the Isle of Lewis, and draws inspiration from Barrington’s teenage years on the Isle of Skye.
The cast includes Louis McCartney (Hope Street), Ella Lily Hyland (Fifteen Love), Mark Lockyer (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Fiona Bell (The Nest, Shetland), Victoria Balnaves (Trust Me), Anders Hayward (Looted) and Chinenye Ezeudu (Sex Education).
Writer/Director of Silent Roar, Johnny Barrington has said: “I’m delighted for Silent Roar to have its world premiere at EIFF, and start its life from a festival and a city so close to my heart. The film is a fun ride into surfing, death and the cosmos and awkward high school memories from the 90’s. The shoot was the best time of my life, with the best cast and crew in the world sweating creative blood… (and partying hard at weekends – or so I have been told). What formed is a story well wadded with ineffable nonsense, tears and laughter. So, if you like staring into sea caves, the human soul and cement mixers, then you’ll love Silent Roar.”
Closing night film Fremont centers on troubled 20-something Donya, played in a breakout debut performance by former TV journalist Anaita Wali Zada, who, like her character in the film, was forced to flee Afghanistan. In Fremont, Donya is an Afghan translator whose work for the U.S. Government has led to her becoming lost and adrift in the titular Californian town.
Donya takes a new job writing the fortunes at a fortune cookie factory and as her messages begin to be read by those throughout the city, her growing sense of longing drives her to send a more profound statement out to the world.
Fremont marks a personal work for British Iranian director Babak Jalali, whose films have screened at countless festivals around the world. His debut feature Frontier Blues played at EIFF in 2010, and his sophomore feature, Radio Dreams, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam where it won the Festival Tiger Award.
Babak Jalali, Writer/Director of Fremont, said: “I’m so honored that Fremont will have its UK premiere as the Closing Night film at EIFF! Growing up in the UK, it was easy to understand the huge cultural impact EIFF has had not just on these shores but also internationally. And the importance of making sure it continues to be here and to thrive. I’m thrilled to be returning to Edinburgh once again to show a film to an audience that I’ve very fond memories of, and in such a prestigious slot in the program.”
The cast includes Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Gregg Turkington (Ant Man, On Cinema), Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) and Bettina Devin (An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn). The film is co-written by Carolina Cavalli whose current feature as director is the acclaimed film Amanda.