We are thrilled to partner with newly founded UK production company UNIFIED to curate a special strand of industry events as part of this year’s Festival!
UNIFIED was founded this year by award-winning producers Amy Jackson (Aftersun, The Nest), Vice Chair of the EIFF Board, and Lauren Dark (Beast, Night Always Comes) and is focused on developing its film and television slate as well as positioning themselves as go-to UK partners for international co-productions.
Indie Spirit and BIFA winner Jackson is known for producing Charlotte Wells’ 2022 Cannes sensation Aftersun, Sean Durkin’s Jude Law starrer The Nest, Mahalia Belo’s 2023 debut feature The End We Start From, starring Jodie Comer, as well as Nick Hornby’s 2019 Emmy-winning short-form TV series State of the Union.
Dark spent four years as an executive producer at Film4 and while there commissioned Molly Manning Walker’s Cannes winner How To Have Sex, and was an exec producer on Florian Zeller’s Oscar winner The Father starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, Rebecca Hall’s BAFTA nominee Passing, and Mark Jenkin’s Enys Men, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2022.
The EIFF Unified Partnership will connect new filmmakers with established industry professionals, and explore successful international partnership models. UNIFIED will curate a series of panels and talks, hosting conversations between filmmakers and executives from across the industry. The strand aims to connect exciting new filmmaking talent with high level industry figures, working locally and internationally, in a meaningful way, creating long-term working relationships.
UNIFIED founders Amy Jackson and Lauren Dark have said: ‘We’re delighted to partner with Paul, Emma and the team at EIFF on this exciting new strand and we’re looking forward to sharing an incredible line up and having some great conversations in our favourite city.’
CEO & Festival Director Paul Ridd has said: ‘This new initiative is going to enrich and expand on our industry offering in a meaningful way. Amy and Lauren’s collective networks, passion and expertise is going to make for something really special and unmissable at the heart of our offering, taking our festival to a whole new level of industry relevance and clout. Bring it on.’
Edinburgh International Film Festival will run from 14-20 August 2025. Building on EIFF’s reinvigorated vision under new leadership from CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the Festival will continue to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media.
More information will be released on the 2025 Festival in the coming weeks as well as more information on the EIFF Unified Partnership.
Edinburgh International Film Festival will run from 14-20 August 2025. Building on EIFF’s reinvigorated vision under new leadership from CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the Festival will continue to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media.
Founded in 1947 when it was known as the International Festival of Documentary Films, Edinburgh is the world’s oldest continually running film festival. 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 Saffrey; and Romana Ramzan, Producer at No Code Studio.
EIFF 2025 is supported by Screen Scotland.
