A striking new Welsh-language opera film will make its debut at the 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival on 18 August, ahead of a nationwide cinema release this autumn.
Tannau’r Lloer / Fires of the Moon, a bold cinematic reimagining inspired by Caradog Prichard’s seminal novel Un Nos Ola Leuad (One Moonlit Night), fuses the power of opera with immersive visual storytelling. Commissioned by S4C and Channel 4, the film is set to air on both broadcasters in 2026.
Rather than a direct adaptation, Fires of the Moon draws on moments from Prichard’s novel to tell a new story rooted in the same haunting emotional terrain and the slate-quarrying landscapes of North Wales — now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Set in the 1950s, the film follows a writer who embarks on a late-night train journey after receiving life-altering news. As the journey unfolds, memories from three decades earlier resurface, forcing him to confront the events that led to his mother’s incarceration in an asylum.
The project showcases a wealth of Welsh creative talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Tenor Huw Ynyr stars alongside Annes Elwy, Dylan Jones, soprano Elin Pritchard, baritone Emyr Wyn Jones, and acclaimed vocalists Rhys Meirion and Shan Cothi. The score is composed by Gareth Glyn, with a libretto by Iwan Teifion Davies and Patrick Young, and music performed by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra.
The film is directed by Chris Forster with a screenplay by award-winning filmmaker Marc Evans and produced by Kirsten Stoddart. It is a co-production between Afanti, OPRA Cymru and Severn Screen, with funding from the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government agency Creative Wales.
S4C’s Head of Film & Drama, Gwenllian Gravelle, described the film as a “lush, intimate, and otherworldly” reinvention that merges opera and literature through a cinematic lens. “It’s precisely this kind of fearless and bold storytelling that S4C is known for,” she said. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Channel 4 to bring it to audiences across the UK.”
Shaminder Nahal, Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4, praised the project as “utterly special and unique,” adding: “Not only is it a TV first, but I believe this beautiful, haunting and mesmerising work will stay with people for a long time.”
Wales’ Culture Minister Jack Sargeant hailed the production as a triumph of creative collaboration. “This is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through cooperation and vision,” he said. “It’s encouraging to see such early industry interest ahead of its wider release.”
Tannau’r Lloer will premiere on 18 August as part of Edinburgh’s prestigious international programme, offering festival audiences an early glimpse at one of the year’s most distinctive and innovative Welsh screen productions.
