Screen Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh International Film Festival can confirm that the 76th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) will take place this summer, in a special one-year iteration as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.
Since December, members of the 2022 EIFF programming team Kate Taylor and Kristy Matheson, have been researching and developing plans for the 2023 edition of Edinburgh’s well-loved Film Festival.
The 2023 programme will be led by EIFF’s new Programme Director Kate Taylor when Kristy Matheson, who served as Creative Director at EIFF, will take up her new position as BFI Festivals Director at the London Film Festival.
With the support of the Edinburgh International Festival, a compact selection of films will be presented under the EIFF banner this August, complementing the Edinburgh International Festival’s programme of world-class performing arts. The hand-picked programme will celebrate the work of exceptional local and global filmmakers and ensure EIFF continues for future generations of passionate cinema fans.
EIFF Programme Director Kate Taylor said “Attending first as audience member, then as film worker, my experience of Edinburgh International Film Festival has always been of a place that sparks inspiring conversations about film, and over the past few months it has been nourishing to hear the stories of many people – filmmakers, audience and industry who hold this festival dear. I’m excited to deliver the ideas that the team and I have been working on over the past few months and be a custodian for this year’s programme, ensuring the flame of EIFF burns bright, and I can’t wait to welcome audiences to enjoy the curated selection of films we’ll be presenting in August.”
Executive Director Screen Scotland Isabel Davis said “From the Opening Night screening of Aftersun, the 2022 edition of EIFF had a great energy and was welcomed by audiences and industry. We are glad to be working again with Kate, the programme team and our colleagues in the International Festival to build on that success. Huge thanks to the Edinburgh International Festival Board and the amazing International Festival team for their proactive and positive work in delivering the EIFF as part of their world-renowned Festival with Kate in post as Programme Director. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Kristy for her work towards the 2023 edition andwishher every success in her new role.”
With the EIFF artistic programme devised and delivered by the Film Festival team, the supporting infrastructure including box office, HR and promotion of the 2023 Film Festival is being provided by the Edinburgh International Festival, who have also been working with Screen Scotland to support the continuation of the Film Festival across the last five months.
Screen Scotland remains in place as the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s primary public funder and will work across the summer with a working group of industry experts to deliver a long-term future for a stand-alone Film Festival, which will be presented annually from August 2024.
EIFF 2023 will run from 18th to 23rd August 2023.
Full programme details for the film selection will be released in June 2023.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 