Sands International Film Festival Sets Third Edition Lineup Including Joe Russo & ‘Avengers’ Composer Alan Silvestri

The Sands International Film Festival has set third edition and will feature Joe Russo, Avengers composer Alan Silvestri and casting director Debra Zane.

The third year of the Scottish festival that aims to showcase “creative and innovative” people working in the entertainment industries will run from April 19 to 21.

Renowned Hollywood director Russo (Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man) will return to St Andrews and, as the festival founder, is expected to participate in a special conversation and host a mentoring session with local filmmakers.

Silvestri, an iconic composer whose back catalog includes the Avengers movies, Back to the Future and Forrest Gump, will give a talk about his career along with a performance, while Zane, whose credits include The Hunger Games franchise, Ocean’s Eleven and Catch Me if You Can, is special guest and will speak about the effort to establish the newly created Oscar for Best Achievement in Casting.

“Sands serves as a hub where the convergence of arts, culture, and technology takes place, all within the esteemed backdrop of St Andrews – one of the world’s premier universities,” said Russo.

Festival Director Ania Trzebiatowska: “I am so looking forward to welcoming our audiences and guests back to Sands. We are incredibly proud that our festival can be boutique in scale, but consistently ambitious.”

Last year’s edition featured Russo, Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard and veteran casting director Margery Simkin.