43 new feature films, 18 feature film World Premieres including 10 World Premieres competing for The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, 6 special retrospective screenings, James Bond on the big screen and a celebration of the work of filmmaker Budd Boetticher; 6 short film programmes including The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence competition, the presentation of new short form work by the inaugural NFTS Sean Connery Lab and the World Premiere of a new animated film by Renée Zellweger;
In Conversation events with acclaimed filmmakers Andrew & Kevin Macdonald, Andrea Arnold, Ben Wheatley & Andy Starke and Nia DaCosta and the return of a strand of thrilling Midnight Madness screenings all of which make up a seven-day celebration of world-class new cinema aiming to spark conversations and allowing audiences, press and industry to engage with the best of Edinburgh’s other cultural Festivals.
Following last year’s successful revitalised edition, the 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival will run from 14-20 August 2025, under leadership from CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa and will continue to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry and local, national and international media.
This year’s Festival programme explores the fragile ties that bind communities new and old, thrilling and revelatory journeys inward and outward andlight shone in the darkest of places. It showcases new work from filmmakers from Scotland, UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Croatia, France, Turkey, Australia, Brazil, Japan and beyond.
EIFF is pleased to be working with venue partners including the newly reopened Filmhouse alongside Cameo Cinema, Vue Omni, Monkey Barrel Comedy and a new pop-up screen at the National Gallery of Scotland’s Hawthornden Theatre placing the Festival at the heart of the city and August’s unparalleled Festival landscape.
Tollcross Central Hall will serve as the Festival Hub, open throughout the Festival to industry and press delegates for industry panels and networking events, alongside informal meeting and working spaces. Tollcross Central Hall will also host the major In Conversation events open to the public.
This year’s Festival programme continues to champion and nurture a new generation of UK and international talent, with a strong selection of first and second features, including filmmakers returning to the Festival for a second year to present new work.
Complementing the previously announced Opening Night film, Eva Victor’s eagerly awaited black comedy SORRY BABY, the Festival presents a selection of compelling new and established voices in cinema including 18 World Premieres with an Out of Competition strand offering additional World and UK premieres.
The previously announced Closing Night film is the World Premiere of Paul Sng’s unmissable, kaleidoscopic Irvine Welsh documentary REALITY IS NOT ENOUGH which sits within a programme strong with both Scottish and international talent.
The ultra-competitive The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence returns to present a panorama of contemporary international film and exciting new filmmakers. The Competition comprises ten feature-length World Premieres, with the winning filmmaker awarded £50,000 to support their future projects. Decided by an audience vote, the winner will be announced at the end of the Festival and the award is generously supported by The Sean Connery Foundation. The winner of last year’s award, Jack King’s The Ceremony has gone on to garner further acclaim and will be released in UK cinemas this August.
This year’s Lynda Myles Celebrates film is Lucio Castro’s AFTER THIS DEATH, a captivating erotic thriller that explores grief, obsession and the haunting power of fleeting, intense connections with a cast including Mia Maestro, Lee Pace and Rupert Friend. The screening is introduced by producer, screenwriter and former EIFF Director Lynda Myles.
Long championed by Martin Scorsese, Budd Boetticher: The Ranown Cycle presents five thrilling, compact and beautiful films directed by Budd Boetticher which represent the apotheosis of the Western genre and feature classic Hollywood movie star Randolph Scott. These 4K restorations are presented in collaboration with Edinburgh Film Guild, one of the world’s oldest continuously running films societies. The films are THE TALL T, BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE, COMANCHE STATION, DECISION AT SUNDOWN and RIDE LONESOME.
Catch James Bond on the big screen with a special strand of the six original Bond films starring Sean Connery. Sacred Bonds includes 4K restorations of DR. NO, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, all introduced by a series of soon to be announced special guests.
EIFF’s In Conversation strand features a range of major filmmaking talent who will discuss their creative careers to date including director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void, One to One: John & Yoko) speaking with his brother, producer Andrew Macdonald (Trainspotting, Civil War, 28 Years Later), in a wide ranging conversation about filmmaking and their respective careers. Trailblazing filmmaker Nia DaCosta will discuss her acclaimed work which spans independent film, horror and major studio comic book adaptations including The Marvels, Candyman and upcoming film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. From breakout horror thriller Kill List to EIFF Midnight Madness Opening Film Bulk, Filmmaker Ben Wheatley and long-time producing partner Andy Starke will discuss their collaborations and their working dynamic. Award-winning writer and director Andrea Arnold is one of the UK’s most outstanding filmmakers and will discuss her searing debut feature Red Road, also screening at EIFF this year, which won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut in 2006.
This year’s EIFF plays host to 6 Special Retrospective Screenings which include Mikhail Kalatozov’s hugely influential Palme D’Or winner THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1957), Alexander Mackendrick’s classic Ealing comedy THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (1951); and a 40th anniversary screening of Michael Hoffman’s much loved RESTLESS NATIVES, presented in collaboration with Local Cinema Network.
Bookending EIFF’s lovingly embraced Midnight Madness strand and unleashing the best in genre cinema from around the world is the World Premiere of Ben Wheatley’s visionary new film BULK and the long-awaited remake of THE TOXIC AVENGER by filmmaker Macon Blair and starring Peter Dinklage and Elijah Wood.
The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Competition presents the World Premieres of new exciting work from Scotland, the UK and International filmmakers all competing for a £15,000 cash prize in honour of legendary film editor Thelma Schoonmaker.
This year the Festival will present the World Premiere of six short films created through the inaugural NFTS Sean Connery Talent Lab.
Out of Competition Shorts offers a powerhouse programme showcasing some of the most extraordinary storytelling from across the globe, from Scotland and America to Sweden and Brazil.
Animation Shorts explore the infinite possibilities of animation with a stunning programme of inventive, expressive and entirely unique tales from around the world including the world premiere of THEY, a new short from director Renée Zellweger.
From the microscopic to the planetary, the Festival’s Experimental Shorts programme traces the invisible threads between nature, identity and power. These films explore bodies, systems and imagined futures, blending poetic vision with political urgency.
Paul Ridd, CEO and Festival Director of EIFF said “I am absolutely thrilled to launch this year’s beautiful programme of films, talks and events into the world. This programme represents a year of incredibly hard work from our team, headed up by myself and my brilliant collaborator Emma Boa, from our supportive Board, and from our partners across film and the arts. I am enormously grateful to all of them for their encouragement and support. For one week in August we celebrate film and its bright future in the heart of Edinburgh. But we hope the ripple effect for our films, for our filmmakers and for our audiences is felt year-round and all over the world. Bring it on.”
Isabel Davis, Executive Director at Screen Scotland said: “Paul and the team have surpassed themselves with this year’s exceptional, must-attend programme. As the major backers of EIFF, we’re overjoyed that the Filmhouse is back in action as a key part of the festival’s new footprint, alongside other great spaces. And we are excited by the expanding industry role, providing a springboard for acquisitions, a place for relationships to be forged between Scottish, UK and international filmmakers and professionals, and for emerging talent to encounter the world’s greatest films and filmmakers. Tollcross Central Hall as an industry hub is a gift of a space and set to become the focal point for incredible conversations and encounters across the festival. Bring it on!”
Jim Welsh
Radio Summerhall Arts 