He has been a controversial champion of the SNP and independence.
But Succession actor Brian Cox has snubbed his homeland for the launch of his latest film, even though it was handed cash by the Scottish Government.
In a typically-forthright outburst, the star says the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) – which begins on Thursday – needs to ‘get its s*** together’.
Instead, Cox will unveil his directorial debut, Glenrothan, at a rival event in Canada.
It’s one of four new films backed by the quango Screen Scotland which have chosen to make their premiere in Toronto next month.
Cox, 79, told the Herald: ‘You can’t sell anything at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
‘Nobody is bothered about that element of it – how you sell the f****** product.
‘There is something immensely practical about art – it’s all about how you sell it.’
Referring to a financial crisis in 2022 in which the EIFF came close to extinction, Cox added: ‘It is the oldest film festival there is, but with the big chaos they had a few years ago it has lost viability.
‘They have got to get their s*** together. It needs to be a festival where you can sell stuff and you invite people to buy it.
‘We knew that the best place to be doing it would be at one of the really proper film festivals.
‘Getting it into Toronto was a big plus for the film. I would have liked to have shown the film in Edinburgh, but once the deal is done, that is it.’
Glenrothan, which was shot in Edinburgh, Glasgow and rural Stirlingshire, is the tale of ex-pat who returns from the US to the Highlands to take over the family whisky distillery.
The film, which was given £540,000 by Screen Scotland to help bankroll its development and production, stars Cox and fellow Scot Alan Cumming.
Both actors have pursued successful careers across the Atlantic, but frequently support calls from nationalist to rip Scotland out of the Union.
Other Screen Scotland-funded movies choosing to launch in Toronto instead of Edinburgh include California Schemin’ – directed by James McAvoy – the thriller Fuze and a remake of Frankenstein.
Between them, the movies received £1.7m of Scottish taxpayers’ money.
EIFF director Paul Ridd said: ‘There were a number of terrific films we considered where the stakeholders ultimately made the decision to premiere elsewhere later in the year. This is all part of the process.
‘We respect the decisions of filmmakers, producers and key players behind these films and their launch strategies.’
Cox’s snub for the EIFF is an about-turn from a previous broadside he made in 2019 when he criticised bosses for not showing another of his films, Rory’s Way.
He said at the time: ‘I was well p***** off because they wanted it at Edinburgh one year and the film wasn’t quite ready.
‘We tried to get it in the second year and they didn’t want to know, which I thought was a shame, because my character is not only a Scot, but a Gaelic speaker.
‘I thought that was the one place it should have been was in the Edinburgh International Film Festival.’
Dundee-born Cox, best known for playing media tycoon Logan Roy in the award-winning HBO series Succession, left Scotland aged 20 to find work in England and now splits his time between New York and London.
He has previously ruled out ever moving back to Scotland because he doesn’t like the weather.
But that hasn’t stopped him frequently weighing in on the independence debate.
He publicly quit Labour for the SNP in 2015 in the wake of the referendum.
Earlier this month, he said: ‘Let’s get on with it and let’s get it done. We can do it.
‘It’s been tough as there’s a great deal of undermining that has gone on.’
A Screen Scotland spokesperson said: ‘Scottish filmmakers are internationally renowned for their craft and regularly selected to play at major international festivals which are often the launchpad for international sales.
‘EIFF’s revitalized offer positions it as a global player celebrating the very best that cinema has to offer in a modern, energised context and very much part of the wider cultural offering taking place in Edinburgh in August.
‘The world premiere competition strand in particular is attracting a growing industry presence alongside local and international audiences looking for a sense of discovery, experimentation, and cross-arts collaboration.’
