First-timer lands

● 70th anniversary marked with debut ● Director hails Edinburgh’s diversity ● Stars ready to hit the red carpet

0 US star Kyra Sedgwick on the red carpet ahead of last night’s Edinburgh Film festival opener, God’s

God’s Own Country charts the events which unfold when Johnny, a young farmer in the Yorkshire Pennines, meets Gheorghe, a Romanian migrant worker

The film, which is in contention for the EIFF’S prestigious best British feature award, has already been at Sundance, in the United States, where Lee was named best international director, and Berlin, where it won a jury prize.

He said: “I gave up acting about five years ago. It wasn’t working for me any more. I had always wanted to write and tell stories visually.

“I ‘d never felt confident to sit down and put pen to paper. I reached a certain age when I thought: ‘Jesus, just give it a go.’ I got a job in a scrapyard to make some money and selffinanced three short films. While I was doing that I wrote this.

“You only have to look at the incredible films that have had their UK premiere in Edinburgh. It felt like I’m in great company. To be offered the opening night film, particularly for a film which has a same-sex relationship, in a mainstream festival feels like a massive achievement.

“It’s very unusual with this kind of content to open a mainstream film festival. The message this sends is that Edinburgh is interested in playing diverse stories, that have resonance for everybody, regardless of who the characters are. This has been an extraordinary year for queer films, particularly with Moonlight winning the best picture Oscar and other breakthrough films at festivals.”

Festival director Mark Adams said: “For me, it’s just a film. We didn’t come it at from any particular perspective. It is just a really great British movie. It’s one of the best films of the year for me. I suspect it will be up for BAFTAS.

“It’s really optimistic and compassionate and very moving. It’s a very powerful movie and Francis is a very talented filmmaker.”

Lee worked intensively with his two lead actors for three