Today, Edinburgh International Film Festival shared an annual review of last year’s revitalised edition. The 78th edition of EIFF will run from 14 to 20 August 2025. Submissions are now open here.
View EIFF Annual Review 2024 (PDF)
View EIFF Annual Review 2024 (Online Brochure)
Building on EIFF’s invigorated vision under new leadership from CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd, the Festival will continue to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media.
As previously announced, the
Audience feedback from 2024 commended the Festival’s “excellent atmosphere and programming” along with the varied programme of films and events and “good timings of most screenings around the working day” as well as the Festival’s “inclusive atmosphere and great use of venues around the city (helping) blend the film festival with The Fringe…”
Audiences also praised the programme’s diverse range of themes and showcasing of works from underrepresented groups. EIFF also championed stories with young, diverse casts; explored bonds between ethnic groups and racial diasporas and showcased stories about disability and neurodivergent experiences.
Audiences praised the “Diverse list of films, interesting Q+A and Panels offered.” Further audience feedback said: “The tier of ticket prices was really appreciated, allowing more to see these films without being priced out.” Venue accessibility was also highlighted: “All the venues were accessible and easy to get to and it was easy to find information both printed and online about this year’s EIFF lineup.”
Attending filmmakers were equally impressed with the Festival. Jack King, director of The Ceremony which won the inaugural Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence said: “This means so much to me… This is the first film festival I ever came to as a teenager; it’s my spiritual home.”
The winner of the inaugural Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence was Manny Wolfe, directed by Trevor Neuhoff who said: “Short films are always a passion project. You put everything into them and so did everyone else in the competition. I think we’re all friends now, which I don’t think happens a lot at festivals.”
The Festival’s 2024 industry programme focused on engaging with Scottish and international artists, creatives, and industry professionals across film and performing arts, providing targeted events for sharing knowledge and facilitating connections. In industry feedback, the In Conversation events in particular were commended for being of a “…really high level and inspiring”.
Press sang the praises of the Festival too. Time Out said “Edinburgh International Film Festival is back and looking more dynamic than ever,” and The Scotsman said the Festival was “a rejuvenated celebration of cinema.”
Further details on the 2025 Festival will be announced in the next few months.
Helmed by CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the Festival team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent. Ridd is supported by the EIFF Board, led by Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; and Vice Chair Amy Jackson, producer of BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun; as well as Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; Teresa Moneo, Director of UK Film, Netflix; Isla Macgillivray, Partner at Saffery; and Romana Ramzan, Producer at No Code Studio.
EIFF CEO and Festival Director, Paul Ridd has said: “2024 was a unique year in the history of EIFF. A brand new organisation was established, led by a Board of industry experts and a new management team. And we delivered a completely new iteration of this vital film festival, honouring its legacy while looking firmly to the future.
Fundamentally, the Festival is all about getting films to audiences and our core strategy is to embed the Festival within the dynamic arts scene taking place throughout August in Edinburgh. In August 2024 we did just that, with a programme of screenings, special events and talks, delivered in partnership with Fringe organisations and hosted in a range of cinema and pop-up venues across the city.
The Festival worked closely with collaborators in the film world as well as other arts festivals, venues and The Fringe to deliver a festival that would feel inclusive, open and future-facing. It was ‘Year Zero’ for the new EIFF, and we embraced its opportunities with gusto.
With the invaluable support of The Sean Connery Foundation, the Festival launched its inaugural World Premiere features competition, a programme of ten excellent, brand new films from all over the world competing for the £50K prize, decided by audience vote. The winner, the striking UK debut The Ceremony directed by Jack King, recouped much of the film’s budget with the prize, which is testament to the power of the opportunity.
The new Shorts Competition, named in honour of the iconic Thelma Schoonmaker, awarded £15K to the makers of the ingenious old Hollywood pastiche Manny Wolfe, presented to director Trevor Neuhoff by Thelma herself.
It is career-changing opportunities like these which are at the heart of the new look Festival. The focus is on supporting filmmakers, producers and everyone involved in getting films made and seen with a powerful global launch pad for their work. It is not just about one week in August. It is about nurturing a platform for filmmaking that can lead on to something meaningful, whether that’s ensuring a film has the best chance of securing future distribution or providing the opportunity for a filmmaker to encounter the producer, commissioner or financier who is going to help them get their next film made.
This is what is driving plans for the future where the two prizes will continue to be at the heart of the Festival. And this is what is driving plans for a continually developing industry programme and activity designed to support new and emerging talent as well as the wider industry.
In August, the groundwork for this was laid with a range of networking opportunities, panels and events with key executives from the world of UK and international production, distribution and exhibition. The Festival is committed to providing affordable access to industry and press to meet and mingle, to listen and learn, and to be part of the community it is working to support.
But a film festival is always fundamentally going to be about the audience and about the films. 2024 saw dozens of features, shorts programmes, repertory films and major in person events, including illuminating conversations with guests including Gaspar Noé and Alex Garland. We were thrilled to host the UK Premieres of box office hits The Outrun, The Substance, Sing Sing and many more, and to welcome stars like Saoirse Ronan, Kelly Macdonald and Damian Lewis to their screenings.
The Festival could not happen without the support of all of our partners and the commitment and dedication of the team. We are enormously grateful to our funders, supporters and everyone who has helped us and continues to help us reboot this beautiful Festival. Special thanks go to the public funding bodies for their tireless support and advice, to all of our brilliant industry partners who gave their resources and time so generously, to the press, to our programme and venue partners and all the different organisations and individuals we worked with to deliver a first festival we feel immensely proud of. And above all, thank you to our audiences for responding so positively and thoughtfully to our programme. Personally, I could not be more grateful or more proud of the team and I cannot wait for our next edition.”
More information will be released on the shape of the 2025 Festival, venues and key strategic partners in the coming months.
EIFF 2025 is supported by Screen Scotland.
