Meg Ryan & Kevin Smith among stars attending EIFF

There are six days to go until Edinburgh International Film Festival kicks off its 70th edition with the Peter Mullan-starring Tommy’s Honour and the festival is continuing to get film fans' blood up with today’s announcements of guest to expect this year, who range from internationally-known Hollywood stars to emerging indie talent.

Meg Ryan and other actors-turned-directors

Among the biggest names on EIFF’s red carpet this year will be When Harry Met Sally star Meg Ryan, who’s attending the festival with Ithaca, her first film behind the camera as director. It’s a coming of age story about a teen telegram deliverer (Alex Neustaedter) during World War II, which EIFF describes as “impressively staged and beautifully shot (at times it feels like a moving Norman Rockwell painting).” Ryan’s old muckers Tom Hanks (they starred together in rom-com classics like Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and Joe Versus the Volcano) makes a cameo in the film along with Sam Shepard.

Meg Ryan isn’t the only actor-turned-director heading to Auld Reekie. Brady Corbet, star of Simon Killer and Mysterious Skin, makes his feature directorial debut with The Childhood of a Leader. He certainly impressed the Orizzonti jury at Venice Film Festival last year, picking up the best director award. Braveheart star Angus Macfadyen is also at EIFF with his directorial debut: Macbeth Unhinged, a modern-day retelling of the classic Shakespearean tragedy.

Stars heading to Edinburgh

Also confirmed to attend is Dundee native Brian Cox, who has two films premiering (The Carer and The Forsaken), and Robert Sheehan returns to the festival with hedonistic thriller Jet Trash (let’s hope he’s also bringing the wonderful tie-dye leggings he wore at last year’s cèilidh). Director Rebecca Miller will also be in town with her love triangle comedy Maggie’s Plan, which stars Greta Gerwig and Ethan Hawke.

Game of Thrones fans are well-served at EIFF this year. Not only is James Cosmo (Night's Watch head-honcho Jeor Mormont) here to help introduce Highlander with Clancy Brown (aka The Krugan) but the High Sparrow himself, Jonathan Pryce, will be in Edinburgh to present his new film, dystopian thriller The White King.

Kevin Smith is all over EIFF

Another big name guest already announced is Kevin Smith, who's here for an onstage chat about his career, but it looks like the gregarious director will be a bit of a fixture throughout the festival. He’ll be joined by his daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, who’s reportedly great in Smith’s latest horror-comedy Yoga Hosers which they’ll present together. Smith will also attend the screening of horror anthology Holidays, which sees several genre-minded directors each take inspiration from a different holiday to craft a grim and scary tale.

As you might guess from the name of his daughter, Smith knows a thing or two about DC comics’ Batman, so he’ll be introducing Batman: The Movie, the film version of the 60s pop-art incarnation of the Dark Knight starring Adam West, which screens as part of the comic-strip movie retrospective POW!!.

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More on EIFF 2016:

 Edinburgh Film Festival 2016: 11 films to see

 Meet Scotland's stars of short film

 Finnish film breaking out internationally

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Additional onstage talks will come from Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall and Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas, whose Davie Bowie-starring Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence screens at the festival. Dominique Pinon and Jean-Jacques Beineix, respectively the star and director of the brilliant Diva, the film that kicked off France’s cinéma du look movement, will attend. Beineix's Betty Blue also screens, as does several other cinéma du look films.

Music fans will be delighted to learn that cult star Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre will help present the world premiere of Moon Dogs, for which he provided the soundtrack. Festival regular Mark Cousins will be there with his intriguing new work Bigger than the Shining, and Finding Dory cinematographer Ian Megibben will be explaining how we “see the sea” in that Pixar animation in a special Youth Hub masterclass.

Other notable guests include legendary filmmaker Lizzie Borden, who'll be there for a rare screening of her film Regrouping; Michael Smiley is attending to support the screening of My Name is Emily; Joanne Froggatt and Tom Riley will attend the world premiere of Starfish; and most of the cast of Kids in Love will be at EIFF's screenings of the film, including Will Poulter, Sebastian de Souza, Preston Thompson and Alma Jodorowsky.

EIFF awards juries announced

This year’s jurors were also revealed today. The Michael Powell Jury will be made up of Kim Cattrall, Spanish filmmaker Icíar Bollaín (whose film The Olive Tree screens) and Clancy Brown.

The International prize will be judged by Angus Macfadyen, Sadie Frost and Matt Mueller, editor of Screen International. The Documentary Jury is headed up by veteran producer Steve Abbott (A Fish Called Wanda), Fife-native Dougray Scott (who stars in zombie movie The Rezort, which premieres at EIFF), and Doctor Who favourite Freema Agyeman. Acclaimed short film producer Rebecca Mark-Lawson, film development executive Hilary Davis and filmmaker Ashley Horner all sit on the short film prize jury.

Diane Henderson, EIFF deputy artistic director said: “In this special year we're proud to welcome so many exciting and talented guests from all over the world. Some we're lucky enough to welcome back and others are here for the very first time. If you'd like the chance to rub shoulders with your favourite actor, director, animator or producer, or the opportunity to meet the stars of tomorrow, then EIFF has it all.  Join us at a screening, a Youth Hub event, or pop into EIFF HQ at Filmhouse, where guests and audiences will mingle until late every night of the Festival.”

This is just the first wave of confirmed guests. Expect more as the festival approached and keep an eye on theskinny.co.uk/film for more announcements.

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The 2016 Edinburgh International Film Festival runs from 15-26 June