The relaunched Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has drawn to a close following a seven-day programme of sold out premieres, talks, retrospectives and well-received industry events.
The Festival ran from 15 – 21 August with 37 new feature films, 18 World Premieres including 10 World Premieres competing for the new Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, won by Jack King’s The Ceremony and 5 short film programmes including the new Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence competition, won by Trevor Neuhoff’s Manny Wolfe.
The Festival hosted 6 special retrospective screenings with introductions from special guests plus packed In Conversation events with iconic filmmaker Gaspar Noé, legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker and filmmaker Alex Garland and producer Andrew Macdonald in conversation.
The Festival launched a strand of thrilling Midnight Madness screenings beginning with the UK Premiere of Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus and concluding with Corelie Fargeat’s The Substance which added to the seven-day celebration of world-class new cinema championing a new generation of UK and international talent and seeing audiences, press and industry engage with the best of Edinburgh’s other arts and cultural Festivals.
The Festival captured audiences’ imagination across the city who responded with support, attendance and admiration. EIFF this year initiated groundbreaking new collaborations working with venue partners Cameo Cinema, Summerhall; 50 George Square in partnership with Assembly Festival; Inspace in partnership with Monkey Barrel Comedy; and Tollcross Central Hall, in a programme which embedded the Festival in the heart of the Fringe landscape.
With 170 screenings and 13 Industry events, the Festival saw a total in person attendance of over 12,000.
The Industry Programme was very well received by attending guests with praise for EIFF as a place to gather and share ideas whilst championing the spirit of independent cinema on a global and local level.
Well-attended events running across the first weekend of the Festival included a Scrapper to Screen: A Case Study panel event which explored the development to distribution of the hit 2023 film Scrapper; a Stand Up To Screen panel involving creatives who have transitioned from live performance/TV to filmmaking, a documentary panel in partnership with Scottish Documentary Institute and networking events in partnership with Screen Fringe, Summerhall, Monkey Barrel Comedy, BBC Film, Screen Academy Scotland and NFTS Scotland.
The Festival kicked off on 15 August with Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun starring Saoirse Ronan and presented a selection of compelling new and established voices in cinema including 18 World Premieres and 19 UK Premieres. Closing the Festival was the World Premiere of Carla J. Easton and Blair Young’s powerful new documentary Since Yesterday: The Untold Story Of Scotland’s Girl Bands, which sat within a programme with a strong presence for Scottish filmmakers and Scottish talent.
The Festival programme showcased new work from filmmakers from Scotland, UK, US, Canada, Mexico, Norway, China, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Iran and beyond.
Every film screening was introduced by a member of the team, and BSL interpretation was offered at all screenings that were presented with Descriptive Subtitles.
The Festival welcomed over 100 filmmakers, producers and distributors to present their films.
Filmmakers and actors attending the Festival included Thelma Schoonmaker, Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Gaspar Noé, Saoirse Ronan, Brian Cox, Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot, Damian Lewis, Euros Lyn, Kelly Macdonald, Nina Conti, Alice Lowe, Kate Dickie, Fionn O’Shea, Mark Cousins, Sophie Fiennes, Ben Rivers, Greg Kwedar, Lauren Lyle, Abdolreza Kahani and many more.
EIFF Director, Paul Ridd said: “I am thrilled with what has been achieved these past seven days after months of hard work, dedication and diligence from my incredible team.
“From packed out screenings of Competition Titles from all over the world to fascinating talks with film legends, from lively industry panels and networking events to Midnight Madness and especially introduced classics, we have celebrated film and film culture in all its glory in a host of different spaces with lively, enthusiastic audiences.
“We are so excited for the future and expanding on the collaborative, cooperative spirit of our new festival. EIFF 2025, bring it on.”
Isabel Davis, Executive Director, Screen Scotland said: “A massive congratulations to Paul and his very talented team on this first edition of the resurgent Edinburgh Film Festival.
“The calibre and diversity of international and local filmmaking talent represented across the programme, from Thelma Schoonmaker, Gaspar Noé, Alex Garland and Mark Cousins, the new energy coming through the collaboration with the Fringe and venues across town have set the direction and ambition for the festival. Congratulations to all involved.”
EIFF 2024 is supported by Screen Scotland and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, the Industry Programme is backed by EXPO funding from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland, and EventScotland part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from Thursday 15 to Wednesday 21 August 2024.
Helmed by Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, EIFF creates a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent.
Former Acquisitions Executive Ridd is supported by an expanding Board, including Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; and Amy Jackson, producer of last year’s BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun.
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