The Irish-British feature Skintown, the new film by Kieron J Walsh, is set to receive its world premiere at the 79th Edinburgh International Film Festival, which will run this year from 13-19 August (see the news). The pic will be unveiled on Sunday 16 August and will compete for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence.

Helmed by Walsh from a screenplay by Ciaran McMenamin, Skintown is set in the summer of 1994 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, at a moment when the announcement of a ceasefire appears to signal the possibility of a brighter future. Against this backdrop, best friends Vinny and Jonty are desperate to escape their small-town lives in conflict-ridden Enniskillen – also known as Skintown – and set out to execute a dangerous plan that they hope will finally spring them from their hometown. But just as escape seems within reach, fate intervenes.

The cast includes Jack Rowan (A Town Called Malice, Boys from County Hell), Chris Walley (The Young Offenders, Christy), Jamie Lee O’Donnell (Faithless, Derry Girls) and Hope Ikpoku Jnr (The Kitchen, The Day of the Jackal). The film is being produced by Yvonne Donohoe for Dublin-based Keeper Pictures and Brendan J Byrne for Belfast-based Cyprus Avenue Films. Katie Holly and Walsh himself serve as executive producers.

Walsh’s previous feature credits include When Brendan Met Trudy (2000), written by Roddy Doyle, Jump (2012) and the cycling drama The Racer (2020). He has also worked extensively across television for broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4 and RTÉ. Behind the camera, Skintown brings together cinematographer Ruairí O’Brien, editor John O’Connor, casting director Michael Hooley, production designer John Leslie, art director Simon Baxter, costume designer Elizabeth Kirby and make-up designer David McAneaney.

Skintown has been produced with backing from Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, Northern Ireland Screen, RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland. The world premiere at Edinburgh marks a significant international launchpad for the film, placing the Northern Ireland-set coming-of-age drama within one of the UK and Ireland’s key festival showcases.