James McAvoy will headline the Zurich film festival‘s Sounds sidebar dedicated to music-focused films, with his directorial debut, California Schemin‘, which will close the section.
The Scottish actor, known for performances in Atonement, X-Men and Split, directs and co-stars in the crazy true story of Silibil N’ Brains, a Scottish rap duo who, in the early 2000s posed as Californian hip-hop artists in a bid for stardom. The pair fabricated backstories, perfected American accents and managed to secure a London record deal, even opening for Eminem, before their deception was revealed.
Zurich will host the European premiere of California Schemin’ on October 4 at the festival’s award ceremony in the Zurich Opera House, with McAvoy attending as the evening’s special guest. California Schemin’ will have its world premiere at the Toronto film festival next month.
“California Schemin’ is a highly entertaining music film based on a true story, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the world of show business and revealing how thin the line between reality and illusion can be,” said Zurich festival director Christian Jungen.
This year’s Sounds lineup also includes Baz Luhrmann’s Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert, a concert documentary featuring previously unseen material of Elvis Presley; Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee, a historical musical starring Amanda Seyfried and Thomasin McKenzie; and Amy Berg’s documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, which draws on the archives of the late musician.
Other titles in the section include Anka Schmid’s Swiss documentary Melodie, which examines the emotional power of singing across cultures and communities, and Dandelion’s Odyssey, an animated feature from director Momoko Seto about four dandelion seeds journeying through the cosmos in search of a home.
The 2025 Zurich Film Festival runs from September 25 to October 5.