Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie is to open this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs August 12-26.

Amelie, released as Amelie From Montmartre in France, is set for UK release on October 5 through Momentum, which picked up the film earlier this year. The story of a naive waitress who eventually finds love after helping those around her was a critical and commercial smash on its recent release in its home territory, amassing more than $28m in six weeks.

David Kosse, managing director of Momentum Pictures, said: "We have very high hopes for Amelie. It has been an enormous hit in France and we believe it has a very strong cross-over potential in the UK. Edinburgh is the perfect platform from which to introduce this very special film to the British public."

Lizzie Francke, departing artistic director of the festival, said: "I can't think of a happier note to open on and a better one to set the tone for the following two weeks."

This year's festival - the 55th - will also feature a Werner Herzog retrospective, focusing entirely on the German film-maker's documentary output. A closing film has yet to be announced, while the full festival line-up is to be unveiled in mid-July.