THE opening of the 2024 salmon season will also mark the celebration of an inaugural film festival.

The River Tweed Film Festival is set to debut at Ednam House Hotel in Kelso on February 1, coinciding with the opening of the River Tweed's 2024 salmon season.

The two-day film festival will feature a selection of captivating, handpicked films which have been curated by Fishing TV – a global film hub for anglers.

The impressive line-up includes Paul Young Hooked on Fishing and Our Wild Salmon – a Fisheries Management Scotland film.

And the highlight of the festival will be the Tweed premier of Mending the Line, starring Golden Globe winner Brian Cox (Succession) and Sinqua Walls (White Men Can't Jump 2023).

Sharing their enthusiasm for the film's Tweed premier, director Joshua Caldwell and Mending the Line author Stephen Camelio said: "It speaks to universal themes of trauma, resilience, and finding something to live for, and strikes a chord with audiences from all walks of life.

"We are incredibly excited to bring this film to audiences on the river Tweed."

The film festival aims to unite angling enthusiasts, film fans and the local Borders community to celebrate the Tweed's rich fishing heritage.

Ed Burgass, commercial director at Fishing TV, said: "We’re delighted to be supporting the River Tweed Foundation and showcasing some of our fantastic fishing and conservation related content at the film festival event.

"As we know, Atlantic salmon are under tremendous pressure and events like this help bring people together to share knowledge, information and ideas which can only be a good thing as we try and protect this amazing fish for future generations."

The River Tweed is one of the UK's most productive salmon rivers, and contributes approximately £24 million a year to the local economy.

The River Tweed Film Festival will begin at 1pm on Thursday, February 1 and will run until the evening of February 2.

For more information, visit the River Tweed website.