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THE INCOMER
September, 22 2026 | 7:00 PM | The Sebastiani Theatre
One of the funniest discoveries of the year — and an award-winning Sundance sensation!
Fresh from its triumphant world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the prestigious NEXT Innovator Award, THE INCOMER arrives at SIFF after emerging as one of Sundance’s most delightfully unexpected audience favorites. Now the film heads home to Scotland as the Opening Night Film of the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival, cementing its status as one of the breakout independent comedies of the year.
Set on a wildly remote Scottish island, THE INCOMER introduces us to Isla and Sandy, an eccentric brother and sister who have spent their lives happily isolated from the outside world — hunting birds, embracing ancient folklore and regarding virtually everyone else as an unwelcome “incomer.” Their wonderfully peculiar existence is suddenly threatened when Daniel, an awkward and hopelessly out-of-his-depth council official, arrives with some very bad news: the siblings are going to have to leave.What follows is an uproarious, wonderfully weird and unexpectedly touching battle of wills, filled with deadpan Scottish humor, absurd encounters, mythical creatures, sibling chaos and one painfully well-meaning bureaucrat who has absolutely no idea what he has gotten himself into.
The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, the acclaimed actor from Ex Machina, About Time, Brooklyn, Star Wars and The Revenant, as Daniel, bringing his trademark combination of comic vulnerability and warmth to the hapless outsider.
He is joined by a terrific Gayle Rankin as the fiercely determined Isla. Rankin is known to millions as Sheila the She-Wolf in Netflix’s GLOW, Alys Rivers in HBO’s House of the Dragon and from Perry Mason. She also earned a Tony Award nomination for playing Sally Bowles opposite Eddie Redmayne in Broadway’s Cabaret.
Scottish actor Grant O’Rourke, beloved by Outlander fans as Rupert MacKenzie, is hilarious and enormously endearing as Sandy, Isla’s innocent, oddball brother.
The outstanding ensemble also includes Michelle Gomez (Doctor Who, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Flight Attendant), Emun Elliott, and John Hannah, the much-loved star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Mummy.
THE INCOMER marks the feature directing debut of Edinburgh-born writer-director Louis Paxton, whose singular comic vision immediately announced him as an exciting new filmmaking voice. Paxton spent nearly a decade developing the story, combining outrageous comedy, Scottish folklore, animation and genuine emotion into something unlike anything else you’ll see this year.
At Sundance, programmers called the film an “absolute joy,” praising its ability to make audiences laugh out loud while finding real poignancy in its story of loneliness, belonging and human connection. The Sundance jury honored it with the NEXT Innovator Award, celebrating the film as a boldly original comic fable whose fearless invention manages to be both hilarious and deeply humane.
Funny, eccentric, big-hearted and completely unpredictable, THE INCOMER is the kind of discovery film festivals were made for — and one of the most purely enjoyable comedies of the year.Come discover the film that won over Sundance, opens the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and now comes to Sonoma as our September SIFF Awards Buzz Screening.Come for the comedy. Stay for the characters. Leave smiling.
Fresh from its triumphant world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the prestigious NEXT Innovator Award, THE INCOMER arrives at SIFF after emerging as one of Sundance’s most delightfully unexpected audience favorites. Now the film heads home to Scotland as the Opening Night Film of the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival, cementing its status as one of the breakout independent comedies of the year.
Set on a wildly remote Scottish island, THE INCOMER introduces us to Isla and Sandy, an eccentric brother and sister who have spent their lives happily isolated from the outside world — hunting birds, embracing ancient folklore and regarding virtually everyone else as an unwelcome “incomer.” Their wonderfully peculiar existence is suddenly threatened when Daniel, an awkward and hopelessly out-of-his-depth council official, arrives with some very bad news: the siblings are going to have to leave.What follows is an uproarious, wonderfully weird and unexpectedly touching battle of wills, filled with deadpan Scottish humor, absurd encounters, mythical creatures, sibling chaos and one painfully well-meaning bureaucrat who has absolutely no idea what he has gotten himself into.
The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, the acclaimed actor from Ex Machina, About Time, Brooklyn, Star Wars and The Revenant, as Daniel, bringing his trademark combination of comic vulnerability and warmth to the hapless outsider.
He is joined by a terrific Gayle Rankin as the fiercely determined Isla. Rankin is known to millions as Sheila the She-Wolf in Netflix’s GLOW, Alys Rivers in HBO’s House of the Dragon and from Perry Mason. She also earned a Tony Award nomination for playing Sally Bowles opposite Eddie Redmayne in Broadway’s Cabaret.
Scottish actor Grant O’Rourke, beloved by Outlander fans as Rupert MacKenzie, is hilarious and enormously endearing as Sandy, Isla’s innocent, oddball brother.
The outstanding ensemble also includes Michelle Gomez (Doctor Who, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Flight Attendant), Emun Elliott, and John Hannah, the much-loved star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Mummy.
THE INCOMER marks the feature directing debut of Edinburgh-born writer-director Louis Paxton, whose singular comic vision immediately announced him as an exciting new filmmaking voice. Paxton spent nearly a decade developing the story, combining outrageous comedy, Scottish folklore, animation and genuine emotion into something unlike anything else you’ll see this year.
At Sundance, programmers called the film an “absolute joy,” praising its ability to make audiences laugh out loud while finding real poignancy in its story of loneliness, belonging and human connection. The Sundance jury honored it with the NEXT Innovator Award, celebrating the film as a boldly original comic fable whose fearless invention manages to be both hilarious and deeply humane.
Funny, eccentric, big-hearted and completely unpredictable, THE INCOMER is the kind of discovery film festivals were made for — and one of the most purely enjoyable comedies of the year.Come discover the film that won over Sundance, opens the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and now comes to Sonoma as our September SIFF Awards Buzz Screening.Come for the comedy. Stay for the characters. Leave smiling.
Doors and Reception from 6:15 pm | Film starts promptly at 7:00 pm
Details
- Country: Scotland
- Runtime 102 min.
- Director LOUIS PAXTON
- Starring DOMHNALL GLEESON, GAYLE RANKIN, GRANT O'ROURKE, EMUN ELLIOTT, MICHELLE GOMEZ, JOHN HANNAH
- Producers SHIRLEY O'CONNOR
Location
Sebastiani Theatre
476 1st Street East
The Sebastiani Theatre Foundation is dedicated to offering first-class performing arts, films and creative educational programs that inspire and entertain the entire community while preserving and enhancing Sonoma’s treasured, historic Theatre for the enjoyment of current and future generations.