This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival will bring 43 new feature films, and 18 feature film World Premieres to Edinburgh over the course of seven days in August (14 to 20th).
The fest will open with Eva Victor's black comedy Sorry Baby, with Paul Sng's kaleidoscopic Irvine Welsh documentary Reality Is Not Enough this year’s EIFF Closing Night film.
Ten of the World Premieres are competing in The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, which carries a £50,000 prize, and is decided by audience vote.
The films in competition are: Best Boy, Blue Film, Concessions, In Transit, Low Rider, Mortician, Novak, On the Sea, Once You Shall Be One Of Those Who Lived Long Ago, and Two Neighbors.
The EIFF will also see 6 special retrospective screenings, including the six original James Bond films starring Sean Connery as 007 and a celebration of the work of filmmaker Budd Boetticher.
A total of 6 short film programmes will include The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence competition (with £15,000 cash prize), the presentation of new short form work by the inaugural NFTS Sean Connery Lab and the World Premiere of a new animated film by Renée Zellweger.
The In Conversation strand will include talks about filmmaking with Andrew and Kevin Macdonald, Andrea Arnold, Ben Wheatley and Andy Starke, and Nia DaCosta. This year also sees the return of edgier Midnight Madness screenings.
Paul Ridd, CEO and Festival Director of EIFF said "I am absolutely thrilled to launch this year's beautiful programme of films, talks and events into the world. This programme represents a year of incredibly hard work from our team, headed up by myself and my brilliant collaborator Emma Boa, from our supportive Board, and from our partners across film and the arts. I am enormously grateful to all of them for their encouragement and support. For one week in August we celebrate film and its bright future in the heart of Edinburgh. But we hope the ripple effect for our films, for our filmmakers and for our audiences is felt year-round and all over the world. Bring it on."
Isabel Davis, Executive Director at Screen Scotland said: "Paul and the team have surpassed themselves with this year's exceptional, must-attend programme. As the major backers of EIFF, we're overjoyed that the Filmhouse is back in action as a key part of the festival's new footprint, alongside other great spaces. And we are excited by the expanding industry role, providing a springboard for acquisitions, a place for relationships to be forged between Scottish, UK and international filmmakers and professionals, and for emerging talent to encounter the world's greatest films and filmmakers. Tollcross Central Hall as an industry hub is a gift of a space and set to become the focal point for incredible conversations and encounters across the festival. Bring it on!"
EIFF Venues
The newly re-opened Filmhouse will return to doing EIFF duty along with Cameo Cinema, Vue Omni, Monkey Barrel Comedy and a new pop-up screen at the National Gallery of Scotland's Hawthornden Theatre.
Tollcross Central Hall will serve as the Festival Hub, open throughout the Festival to industry and press delegates for industry panels and networking events, alongside informal meeting and working spaces. Tollcross Central Hall will also host the major In Conversation events open to the public.
Ticketing info
General Ticket Pricing applies to most of the Festival's screenings across EIFF's venues.
Standard: £12
Concession: £10
Retrospective Standard: £10
Retrospective Concession: £8
Spotlight Standard: £15
Spotlight Concession: £13
Available for Opening and Closing Night and for In Conversation events.
Pay What You Can Ticket Prices
Available for select screenings across the Festival.
£3/ £6/ £9
Essential Companion Tickets are free of charge.
Concession Tickets are provided to arts workers, D/deaf and Disabled people, EH postcode area residents, people in receipt of benefits, students, under 18s, filmmakers and EIFF Industry and Press passholders.
Free tickets are available for select screenings through EdFringe's Community Ticketing Initiative (CTI). CTI supports people in and around Edinburgh who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend. Ticket recipients must live in Edinburgh or the Lothians. For more information, email [email protected]
A £1.25 booking fee will automatically be applied for each ticket you book, both online and in person, up to a maximum of £7.50 per transaction.