The 46-year-old Scottish actor, who rose to global fame with films such as The Last King of Scotland and Atonement, will present his directorial debut, California Schemin’ at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).

Based on a true story, the film is inspired by the incredible tale of the Scottish rap duo Silibil N’ Brains. After being laughed out of London’s music scene for their Scottish accents, the duo head to Los Angeles, reinventing themselves as Californian rappers — and suddenly, every door opens.

Having been a reasonably successful actor for 30 years, I now find myself a very privileged first-time director, McAvoy told Screen Daily following the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The official Tallinn screening, attended by McAvoy in person, will take place on November 8 at 19:15 at Apollo Kino Solaris, Hall 2.

McAvoy has appeared in more than 60 films and television series, earning a reputation as a “chameleon actor” capable of portraying everything from romantic heroes to psychological villains.

His filmography includes global hits such as X-Men, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Atomic Blonde, as well as M. Night Shyamalan’s thrillers Split and Glass.

He has received multiple nominations from both the European Film Awards and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), as well as a Golden Globe nomination. McAvoy is also an acclaimed stage performer, having earned praise for roles ranging from Macbeth to Cyrano de Bergerac.

Festival audiences will also see McAvoy on screen in another PÖFF title — Jamie Adams’s Turn Up the Sun, which will have its world premiere in the Rebels With a Cause programme.