This year’s French Film Festival UK, celebrating its 21st edition, will present Sylvain Chomet’s Attila Marcel as its opening night gala.

The touring event, founded in Scotland, will welcome Chomet to screenings in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow of his first live-action film. His producer Claudie Ossard will also attend.

Attila Marcel, which premiered in Toronto, is about a mute young man being raised by his accentric aunts; a neighbour gives him a magical potion that unlocks his repressed childhood memories.

Richard Mowe, director and co-founder of the Festival, said: “We are delighted that Sylvain who continues as patron of the event, will come back with such a wonderful gift. When we saw him at the ceremony for his honorary degree he promised we would have the premiere of his new film - and he has been as good as his word. We are hosting a gala party for him and the film at the Caledonian Waldorf Astoria hotel in Edinburgh which promises to be a truly glitzy occasion.”

The French Film Festival screenings will take place in London at the Ciné Lumière on 7 November, Edinburgh at the Filmhouse on 8 November and at Glasgow Film Theatre on 9 November. Dundee DCA audiences also will see the film as part of the Festival.

The French Film Festival UK (Nov 7-Dec 7) has programmed more than 30 new films, which also include Daniel Auteuil’s Marius & Fanny, Jean-Pierre Ameris’ The Man Who Laughs, Bruno Dumont’s Camille Claudel 1915, Cedric Klapish’s Chinese Puzzle, Francois Ozon’s Young & Beautiful, Lorraine Levy’s The Other Son, Alain Gomis’ Today and Sebastian Pilote’s Le Demantelement.

Also, veteran film critic Philip French will appear Nov 19 at Cine Lumiere in London, to present his favourite French film of all time: Bertrand Tavernier’s Life and Nothing But.

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