Hollywood legend Stanley Tucci will visit St Andrews next month to appear at the second annual Sands International Film Festival.
The 62-year-old American actor, known for his roles in blockbusters like The Hunger Games, Easy A and The Devil Wears Prada, will be in conversation with director and Key Festival Supporter Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame) on April 15 at the Fife town’s Byre Theatre.
The pair will chat about Tucci’s life and work following a screening of his 1996 film Big Night, which he co-wrote with his cousin, co-directed and starred in.
The film, which tells the story of two brothers who need to save their ailing restaurant business with a Big Night of incredible food, also features Tucci’s sister Christine and their mother, who wrote a cookbook to accompany the movie.
Sands festival director Ania Trzebiatowska said: “The idea behind Sands is to create a sense of community and a dialogue between a diverse group of artists and film lovers.
“We think it’s important to pause and think about not just where we are, but also how we got here, and how to make this industry into a better and more sustainable environment.
‘So excited to welcome Stanley Tucci to St Andrews’
“Stanley Tucci is one of the most curious, passionate and fearless filmmakers out there,” she added.
“And we’re so excited to welcome him to St Andrews to talk about his professional journey and the stories he’s interested in telling.”
The conversation will be just one of the many industry talks and special events on the jam-packed Sands programme, which includes an additional talk by Joe Russo with advice for the next generation of filmmakers.
Other big-name guests will include Fortnite creator and Epic Games chief creative officer Donald Mustard, and veteran casting-director Margery Simkin, whose credits include both of James Cameron’s Avatar films and the original Top Gun movie.
The Sands International Film Festival 2023 will run from April 14-16 at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews. Tickets (including ‘pay what you can’ options) are available from the festival website.
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