Winterlong, which stars Game of Thrones actor Francis Magee, Smack the Pony actress Doon Mackichan and Coronation Street actor Ian Puleston-Davies, will have its first public screening at the festival.

Winterlong focuses on the relationship between a poacher and his estranged son as they learn more about each other while engaging with the world around them.

The film’s director, Senior Lecturer in Media Production David Jackson, said: “We are over the moon to finally be able to share Winterlong with the world. We really hope audiences enjoy what we have created and we hope to get the film into UK cinemas in the near future.”

Some forty students from the University worked on the film, alongside staff from the School of Media & Performance, gaining first-hand experience of what it is really like to make a feature film. Film Production students took on roles such as production assistants and runners, while Performance students acted as extras, with some even having small speaking roles.

Student Darcy Cassidy, who was a floor runner on Winterlong, said: “I feel like I really achieved something from working on the film. I know it sounds like a cliché, but I think I found myself while I was working on it, which I loved. I absolutely loved the experience.”

As well as the screening, Winterlong has been nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, which recognises imagination and creativity in British filmmaking and is regarded as a mark of prestige, both within and without the UK film industry.

Winterlong will be showing at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July. To get tickets visit: www.edfilmfest.org.uk/2018/winterlong