Submissions for the 2025 edition of the Festival have now closed.
Final deadline for receipt of submissions was Friday 18 April 2025.
The 78th edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival will run from 14 to 20 August 2025.
For any questions about the submissions process, please contact: submissions@edfilmfest.org
Submissions Overview
EIFF Considers:
- Short Films (30 minutes or less, including credits).
- Feature Films (all runtimes longer than 30 minutes).
Submission Fees:
- Short Films – $40 Earlybird / $45 Regular / $55 Late
- Feature Films – $65 Earlybird / $80 Regular / $110 Late
Awards:
There are two major awards at EIFF, decided by audience vote:
- The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence.
- The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence.
The submission fee is non-refundable and we are unable to offer fee waivers.
Films should be submitted online via FilmFreeway, here.
The Rules
- All submitted films should not have received any kind of public screening, online or in-person, earlier than 15 August 2024 and meet the selection criteria as described below.
- UK Premiere status is required for all feature and short submissions. EIFF is particularly interested in World, International or European premieres, and first or second features.
- Films may have previously been publicly screened anywhere outside of the United Kingdom. However, we are unable to accept films that have previously been broadcast or otherwise made publicly available (including online) within the UK.
Deadlines & Fees
Final deadline for receipt of submissions is Friday 18 April 2025.
There are three submissions deadlines:
EARLYBIRD: Friday 7 February 2025
SHORT – $40 / FEATURE – $65
REGULAR: Friday 14 March 2025
SHORT – $45 / FEATURE – $80
LATE: Friday 18 April 2025
SHORT – $55 / FEATURE – $110
Please note – your fee is non-refundable. If your film does not match the criteria listed above and you still submit your film, we will not consider your film and will not refund your fee.
The final selection of all films presented at the Festival and their placement in the EIFF programme is at the discretion of the Festival Director.
We strongly encourage you to read our EIFF 2025 Submissions Rules & Regulations for information on how to submit and our eligibility criteria. Please also see our EIFF 2025 Submissions FAQs.
VIEW LARGE PRINT EIFF 2025 SUBMISSIONS RULES & REGULATIONS
VIEW LARGE PRINT EIFF 2025 SUBMISSIONS FAQS
The Awards
The following awards will be given at the 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence
The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence creates a powerful platform to showcase today’s most talented and original filmmakers by linking their success to the legacy of Scotland’s most famous global star.
The award, which carries a cash prize of £50,000, is open to features of any genre that will have their World Premiere at EIFF in August 2025. The award is voted for by cinema-goers attending public screenings during EIFF.
Eligible films are selected at the discretion of the Festival Director.
The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence
The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence will celebrate excellence in short filmmaking.
The award, which carries a cash prize of £15,000, is open to short films of any genre that will have their World Premiere at EIFF in August 2025. EIFF classifies a short film as 30 minutes or under. The award is voted for by cinema-goers attending public screenings during EIFF.
Eligible films are selected at the discretion of the Festival Director.
