Edinburgh International Film Festival

Edinburgh International Film Festival Edinburgh International Film Festival
79th edition: 13 - 19 August 2026
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Established in 1947, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema. Inspired by the unique identity of Edinburgh and our love of film, EIFF connects audiences with innovative and essential storytellers. Intimate in scale, ambitious in artistic scope, EIFF is your annual celebration of screen, at the heart of a global cultural gathering.

“Being a film producer is like childbirth. You really have to forget the pain or else you wouldn’t keep doing it.”It was...
20/08/2026

“Being a film producer is like childbirth. You really have to forget the pain or else you wouldn’t keep doing it.”

It was a privilege to welcome legendary independent film producer Christine Vachon to the Variety Lounge at the 79th Edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival.

In conversation, Christine reflected on the enduring challenges and rewards of independent filmmaking, her long-standing collaborations with filmmakers including Todd Haynes, and her connection to EIFF, from opening the Festival in 1998 with Velvet Goldmine to returning this year as producer of Tyler-Marie Evans’ debut feature, Pretty Babies, which screened as part of this year’s Competition.

Link in bio to read Christine’s full interview with Variety

Last week, we were honoured to welcome Kenneth Branagh to the Festival for a wide-ranging conversation reflecting on an ...
20/08/2026

Last week, we were honoured to welcome Kenneth Branagh to the Festival for a wide-ranging conversation reflecting on an extraordinary career spanning stage and screen.

To mark the occasion, we were proud to present Kenneth with the inaugural EIFF Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award, recognising an unparalleled body of work and an enduring contribution to the art of film.

From decades of acclaimed work as an actor and director for the stage, to bringing Shakespeare to the screen with a celebrated series of adaptations; from helming major Hollywood blockbusters including Thor (2011) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017), to creating intimate, deeply personal films such as All Is True (2018) and Belfast (2021), Branagh’s career is remarkable in both its scale and its range.

A true force of nature in the arts, and a passionate champion of cinema, it was a privilege to celebrate Kenneth’s contribution to film with our inaugural award.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such an inspiring and memorable In Conversation event with film critic and writer Peter Bradshaw.

Tonight, we closed the 79th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.At our Awards Ceremony, we celebrated t...
19/08/2026

Tonight, we closed the 79th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

At our Awards Ceremony, we celebrated the filmmakers whose work has made this year’s Festival so memorable, and announced the winners of our two filmmaking competitions.

We were thrilled to present The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence to Skintown, directed by Kieron J. Walsh, and The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence to Grief Room, directed by Sindha Agha.

Huge congratulations to Kieron, Sinda, and to every filmmaker who shared their work with us this year. From bold new voices to world-class independent filmmaking, your work is at the heart of EIFF and we truly could not do this without you.

To close out EIFF 2026 we had the World Premiere of Louise Lockwood’s BEL, a compelling, sensitive portrait of Beldina Odenyo, the Kenyan-Scottish musician, singer and songwriter.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for another year of discovery, conversation and celebration. It has been a privilege to share these films, stories and voices with you.

Important update: BEL screeningThe BEL screening scheduled for 9.00pm this evening at The Cameo has been cancelled due t...
19/08/2026

Important update: BEL screening

The BEL screening scheduled for 9.00pm this evening at The Cameo has been cancelled due to an unforeseen issue affecting the venue.

Ticket holders can exchange their tickets for one of the following screenings tonight:

• Filmhouse – 9.30pm
• Cineworld Edinburgh – 10.00pm

Alternatively, ticket holders can request a full refund.

To arrange an exchange or refund, please contact [email protected] and include your transaction number, which can be found on your confirmation email.

We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

We are delighted to announce that the winner of The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Competition...
19/08/2026

We are delighted to announce that the winner of The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Competition is Grief Room directed by Sinda Agha.

The short film competition winner was also decided on by an audience vote and is awarded £15,000 to support their future projects.

In Agha’s Grief Room, three estranged sisters reunite at their sharp-tongued mother’s deathbed to say goodbye. Using experimental tech to interpret their mother’s thoughts, the youngest becomes convinced of an urgent, final message they must uncover.

Emily Beecham, Daisy Bevan and Louisa Harland are on peak form in this short about grief, family and reconnection.

Congratulations Sinda Agha! Sindha Agha

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is Skintown, dir...
19/08/2026

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is Skintown, directed by Kieron J. Walsh.

Ten feature-length World Premieres competed for the £50,000 prize, funded by The Connery Foundation and presented by Jason Connery. The winner was decided by an audience vote.

Set in Northern Ireland in 1994 during the IRA ceasefire, Skintown follows best friends Vinny and Jonty party with friends, cut deals and make plans to escape small town life. The uncertainty and instability of the time conspire against them in Kieron J. Walsh’s vivid portrait of disenfranchised youth, 90s rave culture and a turbulent period in recent Irish history.

Balancing humour, wit and pathos and bolstered by great performances from a terrific cast including Jack Rowan, Chris Walley, Jamie Lee O’Donnell and Hope Ikpoku Jnr. and a killer 90s soundtrack featuring Prodigy, Elastica, Happy Mondays, Jeff Mills and Carl Cox, this is a propulsive, poignant period piece.

Congratulations, Kieron J. Walsh! Kieron J. Walsh

It’s the final day of EIFF 2026. Make it count.The last few days have been a whirlwind of conversations, connections and...
19/08/2026

It’s the final day of EIFF 2026. Make it count.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of conversations, connections and independent cinema. From the EIFF Ceilidh and Ali Plumb’s Film Quiz, to conversations with cinema greats including Bruce Dern and Kenneth Branagh - who received the inaugural EIFF Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award - EIFF 2026 has been a true celebration of independent filmmaking.

There’s still time left to discover something extraordinary.

It is the final day of EIFF 2026.As the Festival draws to a close, don’t miss your chance to experience some of this yea...
19/08/2026

It is the final day of EIFF 2026.

As the Festival draws to a close, don’t miss your chance to experience some of this year’s best independent cinema.

Closing the festival is BEL, Louise Lockwood’s moving debut documentary, a powerful portrait of Kenyan-Scottish musician Beldina Odenyo.

BEL is a celebration of artistry, voice and legacy, told through intimate video footage and original music, as friends and family piece together Odenyo’s posthumous album.

Beautiful, thoughtful and deeply moving.

Showing across Filmhouse Edinburgh The Cameo Cinema and Cineworld Edinburgh tonight.

Wednesday 19 Aug | 21:00 | The Cameo
Wednesday 19 Aug | 21:30 | Filmhouse
Wednesday 19 Aug | 22:00 | Cineworld

From bold new voices to filmmakers pushing the boundaries of independent cinema, these are the emerging talents shaping ...
19/08/2026

From bold new voices to filmmakers pushing the boundaries of independent cinema, these are the emerging talents shaping the future of film.

The Variety Lounge at Edinburgh International Film Festival brought together the 11 directors behind the 10 films competing for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence ahead of today’s Awards Ceremony.

Decided by audience vote, this £50,000 prize aligns the most exciting new filmmakers in the world with the legacy of Scotland’s biggest global star.

to watch the Variety Lounge interview.

Meet the filmmakers:
Capsized directed by Lindsey Ryan Lindsey Ryan | NYC lost at sea films
First Zone directed by Thom Lunshof
The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman directed by Bart Simpson Bart Simpson
Mission directed by Paul Wright
Out There directed by Simon Ryninks Simon Ryninks
Pretty Babies directed by Tyler-Marie Evans Tyler-Marie Evans
Sacred Creatures directed by Frieda Luk
Skintown directed by Kieron J. Walsh Kieron J. Walsh
Snapshot directed by Joseph Archer snapshot_1888
The State of Us directed by Ollie Gardner, Jake Harvey The State Of Us Film Jake Harvey

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