A HOMEGROWN movie which stars Co Down comedian Patrick Kielty is to open this year's Belfast Film Festival.
The showing will be the world premiere of Ballywalter which tells the story of a budding stand-up comedian who develops a touching friendship with a down-on-her-luck taxi driver, played by Seana Kerslake.
This year's BFF programme, which was launched yesterday, includes premières, gala screenings, panel talks and special events which showcase the wealth of local talent and shine a spotlight on the best up-and-coming international talent.
This year‘s event also sees the launch of new awards, which will be presented by a jury of international film-makers and industry professionals, including BAFTA and Academy-Award-winner Andrea Arnold.
The festival will close with a joint Irish premiere with Cork Film Festival of the highly anticipated Aftersun starring Paul Mescal, which had its world première at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The film is a poignant father-daughter drama set in Turkey in the late nineties.
Michele Devlin, Director of BFF, said: "New places and new technology, internationalism and indigenous talent are the cornerstones of the 22nd Belfast Film Festival.
"We honour the past with our Vox Populi screenings in the historic Bank of Ireland site of the planned new Belfast Stories screen centre on Royal Avenue and we embrace the future in the spacious, shiny new auditoriums of Cineworld at the Odyssey," she said.
"Re-energized and excited, we invite audiences to join us on a cinematic journey around the world this November."
Further information is available at www.belfastfilmfestival.org/whats-on.
