England Is Mine stars Jack Lowden as Morrissey Photo: Courtesy of EIFF |
The film, directed by Mark Gill, who was Oscar-nominated for his short The Voorman Problem, is set in Seventies Manchester, where an introverted, uncompromising teenager, finds himself frustrated with his working-class existence.
Jack Lowden plays Steve Morrissey and the film charts his progress through the city's underground music scene, including his friendship with Linder Sterling (Jessica Brown Findlay), culminating with his first meeting with guitarist and Smiths co-founder Johnny Marr (Laurie Kynaston).
EIFF artistic director Mark Adams said: “Morrissey is definitively one of Britain’s most iconic artists, and we are delighted to be exploring the enigma of his incredible life story on closing night with the world premiere of England Is Mine.”
Tickets for the film go on sale at 10am today (Friday, May 12) from the festival website.