One of the most accomplished, versatile and skilled character actors of his generation, as well as a champion long distance runner, Bruce Dern is known and loved for the intensity, depth and integrity he brings to each of his roles. With such a distinctive flair for improvisation that the term ‘Dernsie’ was coined for the off-script contribution he so often makes to a scene, and a career that includes astonishing Oscar-nominated performances in Hal Ashby’s Coming Home (1978), screening at EIFF this year, Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2013) and EIFF 2026 World Premiere William Scoular’s Northbound, Dern has collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Corman, Walter Hill and Joe Dante. He is a true titan of cinema and we are honoured to welcome him to EIFF to discuss his phenomenal career and unique contribution to independent film.