Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival of St Andrews will open on April 25th with a screening of the indie British comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island starring Carey Mulligan and Sian Clifford (Fleabag).
The comedy arrives at Sands after its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film follows a lottery winner who pays his favourite folk duo to reunite and perform a concert on his remote island. Focus will release the pic on March 28.
Sands, which will run until April 27, will also screen the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a Palestinian filmmaker and an Israeli journalist, and Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other, a buzzy doc about a married couple as they reflect on their lives together and navigate ageing and the changes it brings. The film’s co-director and producer, Manon Ouimet, will attend the fest and take part in a post-screening Q&A.
Other Sands 2025 titles include Witches from writer-director Elizabeth Sankey, who will also take part in a Q&A alongside composer and producer Jeremy Warmsley, and Shiori Ito’s Oscar-nominated Black Box Diaries, a doc that examines one woman’s fight against Japan’s outdated judicial system.
Headline guests scheduled to attend the fest include veteran actor, presenter, and campaigner Joanna Lumley, who will take part in a Q&A session on the second day of the festival. That same day, festival founders Joe and Anthony Russo, in conjunction with AGBO CCO Angela Russo-Otstot, will take part in an In Conversation session with Caribbean filmmaker Frank E. Flowers, entitled Holding the Door Open, on the power of mentorship in building inclusive pathways for emerging filmmakers.
Elsewhere, musician Kathleen Wallfisch will feature in a Q&A session on her career, which includes work as Music Supervisor on Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II and Napoleon, while influential Casting Director Kharmel Cochrane will also discuss her professional path. Cochrane’s credits include Rye Lane, Saltburn, and The Northman.
Now in its fourth year, Sands Festival Director Ania Trzebiatowska describes the event as a destination for “fostering connection and strengthening community.”
“In these complicated times, the empathy that films can evoke feels more vital than ever. Now in its fourth year, our boutique film festival in St Andrews has always been driven by a desire to grow in depth and meaning, rather than size,” Trzebiatowska said. “I see Sands as both a platform for exciting new voices and a space where passionate, creative people can come together to connect and discuss their work in the film industry.”
AGBO Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot added: “Sands has always been about celebrating bold storytelling and fostering meaningful creative connections. This year’s program reflects the festival’s commitment to amplifying diverse voices and championing artists who challenge, inspire, and innovate. At AGBO, we are especially excited to be joined by Frank E. Flowers in conversation, highlighting the importance of mentorship and the pathways that help shape the next generation of filmmakers.”
