The full programme for this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival which runs from 15 to 21 August 2024 is published online.
Complementing the Opening Night film, Nora Fingscheidt’s THE OUTRUN starring Saoirse Ronan, the Festival has a selection of compelling new and established voices in cinema with World and UK premieres to entertain audiences this August.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday at noon for this year’s festival which runs from 15 to 21 August. The programme is here.
The Opening Night film will be Nora Fingscheidt’s (System Crasher) adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir, The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan (Ladybird, Brooklyn) as well as screenings of director Greg Kwedar’s acclaimed film Sing Sing and the UK Premieres of Fede Alverez’s terrifying Alien: Romulus and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance as opening and closing films respectively of the new Midnight Madness programme.
Alongside this, EIFF has announced the name of its short film competition as The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence. Thelma Schoonmaker, who will be in attendance at the Festival, is celebrated for her iconic work as an editor on landmark moments in cinema history, collaborating on such films as Killers of the Flower Moon and Goodfellas.
The Closing Night film will be the world premiere of Carla J Easton and Blair Young’s new music documentary Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands.
The revealing, funny and enraging documentary tracks the history of Scottish girl bands from the 1960s to the present. This scrapbook panorama view of Scottish pop music explores bands, cliques and movements that emerged in the country across the decades, exposing the challenges faced in a male dominated world.
Co-directed by musician Carla J. Easton (shortlisted for Scottish Album of the Year and member of all girl band TeenCanteen) and prominent Scottish director Blair Young, the film is produced by producer/filmmaker Miranda Stern (Scottish Documentary Institute’s New Voices 2020) and the award-winning production company Forest of Black.
Girls On Film will co-present the World Premiere of the film which will screen at EIFF on 21 August at the Cameo Cinema.
The EIFF, Black Bear and the film exhibition company We Are Parable have partnered up to present the European premier of Greg Kwedar’s prison drama Sing Sing.
In Sing Sing, a small group of incarcerated people inside the infamous maximum security correctional facility find purpose by acting together in a theatre group. When a wary outsider joins the group, the men decide to stage their first original comedy entitled ‘Breakin’ The Mummy’s Code’ from inception to opening night.
Sing Sing stars Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo (Rustin, Euphoria), newcomer Clarence Maclin, Academy Award nominee Paul Raci, and an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors in a stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.
We Are Parable will present screenings of the film at EIFF with extended intros, talent Q&As and audience outreach. The European premiere of Sing Sing will screen at EIFF on 16 August at the Cameo Cinema and will be released by Black Bear, who also produced the film, in the UK and Ireland on 30 August. The film will be released by A24 in the US on 12 July.
EIFF Director, Paul Ridd, said: “I am fortunate enough to have seen first hand the incredible work Anthony and Teanne have been doing with We Are Parable these past years across audience engagement and distribution in the UK. Their tireless work and profound passion for cinema and growing audiences for it is a source of immense inspiration and I am just totally delighted we get to work with them and Black Bear on the European premiere of the extraordinarily moving film Sing Sing from filmmaker Greg Kwedar in August.”
We Are Parable Co-Founders, Anthony Andrews and Teanne Andrews said: “We’re honoured to present the European premiere of Sing Sing at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. This new partnership with the festival and Black Bear reflects our dedication to transformative stories that resonate with audiences around the UK.”
UK Managing Director Black Bear, Llewellyn Radley said: “Sing Sing tells a powerful, emotional story in a wholly original way, with wonderful performances from a cast that includes many formerly incarcerated actors, alongside professionals, Colman Domingo and Paul Raci. We’re thrilled to partner with the Edinburgh International Film Festival and We Are Parable to share this special film with UK audiences.”
This year’s festival includes more than forty feature films, five shorts programmes and various talks and events across its dates. Concession pricing is available and Pay What You Can tickets will be available across select screenings.
Helmed by Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent. Former Acquisitions Executive Ridd is supported by an expanding Board, including Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; and Amy Jackson, producer of last year’s BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun.
EIFF 2024 is supported by Screen Scotland and the Industry Programme is backed by EXPO funding from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland.
- FULL PROGRAMME DETAILS
- Opening Films
- THE OUTRUN (Nora Fingscheidt, UK) UK Premiere
- A powerfully honest drama about addiction, survival, and the power of nature to renew hope. With an extraordinary central performance from Saoirse Ronan, striking use of Orkney locations and an evocative sense of mood, place and time, Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir is vividly adapted for the screen.
- ALIEN: ROMULUS (Fede Álvarez, US) UK Premiere | Midnight Madness.
- A spectacular new entry in the iconic franchise. Whilst exploring a derelict space station a group of young people encounter the most terrifying life force in the universe in this ferociously entertaining new vision for Alien.
- Closing Films
- SINCE YESTERDAY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF SCOTLAND’S GIRL BANDS (Blair Young,
- Carla J Easton, UK) World Premiere presented by Girls on Film and EIFF
- A revealing, funny and enraging documentary tracking the history of Scottish girl bands from the 1960s to the present. This scrapbook panorama view of Scottish pop music explores bands, cliques and movements that emerged in the country across decades, exposing the challenges faced in a male dominated world.
- THE SUBSTANCE (Coralie Fargeat, US) UK Premiere
- Starring a superb Demi Moore, get set for high-style gore in this dark and bloody comedy. A Hollywood superstar facing the ageism and sexism of an industry that is swiftly forgetting her is faced with an intriguing proposition.
- The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence
- ALL THE MOUNTAINS GIVE (Arash Rakhsha, Iran) World Premiere
- A powerful documentary about the Kolbari covert goods trades between the Kurdish cities and towns of Iran and borders of Iraq, the film follows friends Hamid and Yasser as they balance fragile work and family lives.
- THE CEREMONY (Jack King, UK) World Premiere
- A fight over stolen property – and a tragic death – brings together two migrant workers as they search for a suitable burial place. Shot in black and white against a rolling Yorkshire landscape, this drama packs a powerful punch.
- FUGA (Mary Jiménez, Bénédicte Liénard, Belgium) World Premiere
- A richly poetic journey to the heart of the Peruvian jungle, where a lover must be laid to rest. This drama – where we uncover lives of intimidation and violence – has a unique visual and sonic style.
- LILIES NOT FOR ME (Will Seefried, US) World Premiere
- Told through elegant flashbacks, two men wrestle with their sexuality in the repressive English society of the 1920s. Exploring a neglected period in queer history, this drama is defined by a haunting mix of romanticism and unflinching honesty.
- LOLLIPOP (Daisy-May Hudson, UK) World Premiere
- A stirring drama about a mother desperate to maintain custody of her children, following her release from prison. When things seem dark for Molly (Posy Sterling), an encounter with an old friend may spark something new.
- A SHRINE (Abdolreza Kahani, Canada) World Premiere
- A mobile religious shrine acts as a get-rich-quick scheme for an ambitious man. But there may be consequences… This subversive comedy drama also offers an intriguing and offbeat window into the diasporic Iranian community in Montreal.
- SMILES AND KISSES YOU (Bryan Carberry, US) World Premiere
- The relationship between a man and his life-size AI-animated doll is explored in this moving documentary. A clear eyed and open hearted take on machine learning and loneliness, in an age of algorithmic dating apps.
- SUNLIGHT (Nina Conti, UK) World Premiere
- An absurd, original and darkly comic road movie about a monkey, a man and a dead man’s watch. Written, produced and directed by EdFringe favourite Nina Conti, the comedian stars as a life-size iteration of her stand-up sidekick.
- TO KILL A WOLF (Kelsey Taylor, US) World Premiere
- Reimagining the classic fable Little Red Riding Hood, a young girl is discovered in the snowy Oregon landscapes by a social pariah. This dark psychological drama interrogates trauma, grief and redemption in a dangerous world.
- XIBALBA MONSTER (Manuela Irene, Mexico) World Premiere
- A young boy forms an unlikely friendship with an ageing hermit while struggling to make sense of the death of his parents. This delicately moving film explores the circle of life, the human experience and the order of the natural world.
- Out Of Competition Features
- ACTING (Sophie Fiennes, UK) World Premiere
- In an old castle, a dozen young actors work on Shakespeare’s Scottish Play (Macbeth) with an insightful theatre director. This immersive documentary looks behind the scenes at the acting process, and is a celebration of artistic collaboration.
- AND MRS (Daniel Reisinger, UK) World Premiere
- When Gemma’s (Aisling Bea) fiancé (Colin Hanks) dies shortly before their wedding day, she decides to marry him anyway. An unconventional romantic comedy which explores fidelity, strength and the lengths we go to honour our commitments.
- ARMAND (Halfdan Ullmann Tønde, Norway) UK Premiere
- Camera D’Or Winner, Cannes 2024
- Elizabeth (Renate Reinsve) is shocked to discover that her son has been accused of crossing boundaries at school. A tightly wound and exhilarating drama examining the assumptions that adults can make when trying to uncover the truth.
- BETWEEN THE TEMPLES (Nathan Silver, US) UK Premiere
- A cantor having a crisis of faith is reunited with his high school music teacher, who is intent on having a late life Bat Mitzvah. This elegantly observed comedy drama delicately balances farce and romance.
- BLACK DOG (Guan Hu, Taiwan) UK Premiere
- Un Certain Regard Main Prize Winner,Cannes 2024
- Returning to his hometown following time in prison, a young man befriends a stray whippet in this tale of companionship and redemption. This profound and moving drama is a soulful delight for dog lovers everywhere.
- BLUE SUN PALACE (Constance Tsang, US) UK Premiere
- Far from home, Amy and Didi have built new lives for themselves in Flushing, Queens. But tragedy will break the world they have created. A beautiful drama about absence, grief and the human need for connection.
- BOGANCLOCH (Ben Rivers, UK) UK Premiere
- Observing a solitary soul at the edge of the world, this mesmerising documentary follows forest-dwelling hermit Jake Williams as he lives a self-contained existence in the Scottish wilderness. The director revisits his subject after Two Years at Sea (2011).
- JOY DANCER (Suzanne Smith, Sylvia Solf, US) World Premiere
- A dance-filled documentary about South African choreographer and activist Gregory Maqoma and composer Thuthuka Sibisi, and their creation of a dance theatre piece based on the true story of the first Black South African choir travelling to the UK.
- MONGREL (Wei Liang Chiang, You Qiao Yin, Taiwan) UK Premiere
- An undocumented Thai careworker in a remote region of Taiwan navigates a lack of status and currency alongside the people he looks after. This compassionate drama observes people disenfranchised by a system that barely acknowledges them.
- MY FAVOURITE CAKE (Maryam Moghadam, Behtash Sanaeeha) UK Premiere
- An elderly Iranian widow befriends a lonely taxi driver in Tehran, railing against strict social structures. A profoundly moving meditation on ageing, loneliness and love in unexpected places – and a reflection on societal repression of both men and women.
- A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS (Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, Norway)
- Grand Jury Prize & World Cinema Documentary Winner, Sundance 2024
- When a tragic event shatters the world of the Payne family, they are forced to give up their idyllic, off-the-grid lifestyle in the Norwegian wilderness. An ode to nature and resilience, this documentary is warm, potent and deeply moving.
- SCHIRKOA: IN LIES WE TRUST (Ishan Shukla, India) UK Premiere
- Animation NETPAC Award Winner, Rotterdam 2024
- In a dystopian world where differences are erased, pressures mount towards revolution. Spectacularly animated using video game technology, our societal fears about social control and liberation are confronted in this unique and timely nightmare.
- SING SING (Greg Kwedar, US) European Premiere Presented by We Are Parable and EIFF
- With a career-best performance from Colman Domingo, this poignant drama unfolds in the walls of the notorious Sing Sing prison in upstate New York. A story of resilience and the restorative impact of art, it offers us pieces of hope in even the darkest places.
- STEPPENWOLF (Adilkhan Yerzhanov, Kazakhstan) UK Premiere
- A woman searching for her son encounters a corrupt sociopathic investigator who will stop at nothing to carve the way forward for them both. This is a dystopian, modern and brutal take on classic Western and Samurai films, with an unlikely female heart.
- A SUDDEN GLIMPSE TO DEEPER THINGS (Mark Cousins, UK) UK Premiere
- This riveting documentary focuses on the life and work of Scottish artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, 20 years after her death. Exploring the artist’s life and her wordless language of colour, new ways of seeing are found.
- THE MOUNTAIN WITHIN ME (Polly Steele, UK) World Premiere
- Following an almost fatal injury, rugby player Ed Jackson’s recovery is charted through a new-found love for mountaineering. This courageous documentary is starkly honest and unsentimental in its examination of a life forever changed.
- THE RADLEYS (Euros Lyn UK) World Premiere
- A bloodthirsty, dark comedy about a suppressed family of vampires. Adapted from Matt Haig’s (The Midnight Library) titular novel by comedian Jo Brand and writer Talitha Stevenson, this is a fresh, inventive reimagining of the vampire genre.
- TIMESTALKER (Alice Lowe, UK) UK Premiere.
- Screening with short film DON’T HATE ME (Grace Campbell, UK)
- Would you chase true love across centuries? With a reincarnation twist, this romantic comedy is full of big hair and a big heart. Emotionally insightful and entertaining, and with a terrific supporting cast, this hilarious and moving film is truly unique.
- Midnight Madness
- BIRDEATER (Jack Clark, Jim Weir, Australia) UK Premiere (M/M)
- Screening with short film MAKE ME A PIZZA (Talia Shea Levin, US) UK Premiere
- When Irene joins fiancé Louis on his stag-do in the remote Australian bush, the night slowly devolves into chaos. Blending psychological horror with an exploration of toxic masculinity, audiences will be on the edge of their seats.
- KING BABY (Kit Redstone, Arran Shearing, UK) UK Premiere
- Screening with short film DUCK (Rachel Maclean, Scotland)
- Prompted by a royal vision, a king and his servant carve themselves a queen. A surreal comedy about serving others, arrogance, and the slippery nature of power. Enigmatic performances make for a royally unexpected watch.
- ODDITY (Damian Mc Carthy, Ireland) UK Premiere
- Screening with short film ONE MORE ROUND (Zach Magid, Andrew Tyrell, US) UK Premiere
- A medium is determined to find her sister’s murderer with the support of an unnerving wooden mannequin. Set in rural Ireland, this ghoulish haunted house horror is a dread-inducing thrill ride from start to finish.
- SUNRAY: FALLEN SOLDIER (James Clarke, Daniel Shephard, UK) World Premiere
- Screening with short film MEAT PUPPET (Eros V, UK) UK Premiere
- Created by and starring former Royal Marines Commandos, this adrenaline fuelled thriller follows a war veteran seeking justice in a violent criminal world. The film also offers a hard-hitting portrayal of PTSD.
- Lynda Myles Celebrates…
- GALA AND KIWI (Axel Cheb Terrab, Argentina) World Premiere
- Screening with short film SIESTA (Gustavo Rene Sanabria, Argentina)
- During a wild drunken night, two women face hard truths about their friendship. This gritty and emotional drama is a dazzling showcase for new talent, and will be introduced by producer, screenwriter and former EIFF Director, Lynda Myles.
- Special Events and Retrospectives
- I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING! (Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell, 1945 UK)
- Iconic editor Thelma Schoonmaker delivers an extended intro to Powell and Pressburger’s 1945 romantic masterpiece. Moving, funny and deeply serious in its exploration of love, history and the secrets buried in the remote Mull landscape.
- IN CONVERSATION: GASPAR NOÉ
- We are joined by the iconic filmmaker and master provocateur for a wide-ranging discussion of his career and filmmaking.
- SUSPIRIA (Dario Argento, 1977 Italy)
- Director Gaspar Noé presents a cult classic. An American newcomer to a prestigious ballet academy comes to realise that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.
- THE UNTOUCHABLES (Brian De Palma, 1987 US)
- The Festival welcomes The Connery Foundation and members of the Connery family to present a special screening of Brian De Palma’s iconic gangland thriller.
- PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (Brian De Palma, 1974 US)
- Featuring a knockout soundtrack, spectacular production design and standout performances from Paul Williams, William Finley and Jessica Harper, prepare for a sensory delight.
- Competition Shorts
- PATERNAL ADVICE (Lisa Clarkson, Scotland) World Premiere
- A starkly realist short from Scottish director Lisa Clarkson exploring tough love and masculinity passed down the generations.
- HOMEWORK (Jamie di Spirito, UK) World Premiere
- A powerful film about the secrets kept between a mother and her daughters from British director Jamie di Spirito. Director: Jamie di Spirito.
- MY DAD AND THE VOLCANO (Gavin Reid, Scotland) World Premiere
- Scottish director Gavin Reid explores his relationship with his father and his art in this quirky and poignant documentary short.
- MY EXPLODING HOUSE (Liberty Smith, UK) World Premiere
- An experimental documentary by British director Liberty Smith investigating her mother’s thirty-year-old memory of their old house being blown up for a television film.
- NICO (Max Olson, US) World Premiere
- American director Max Olson debuts their unique visual style, in this bold and haunting short about a trans man who reminds an elderly widow of her late husband.
- MANNY WOLFE (Trevor Neuhoff, US) World Premiere
- A funny and moving spin on classic noir featuring a werewolf actor who can’t catch a break in Hollywood, directed by Trevor Neuhoff.
- SHOAL (Cardumen) (Inés Villanueva) World Premiere
- Given the task of writing a song about molluscs and existentialism, a young singer works on her entry during a birthday party in this beautiful Argentine comedy from Inés Villanueva.
- THE JUBILEE (Wilma Smith, Scotland) World Premiere
- Blending live-action with napkin-based stop-motion animation, this Scottish short directed by Wilma Smith explores dementia through a new and potent lens.
- Out Of Competition Shorts In Association With Screen Academy Scotland
- ANALOG MEDIUM (Tom Campbell, Australia) InternationalPremiere
- ALWAYS RETURN (Paulina Urreta, Mexico) International Premiere
- AUTISM PLAYS ITSELF (Janet Harbord, UK) UK Premiere
- MOTHER TONGUE (Vea Mafile’o, New Zealand) European Premiere
- WHERE MY MEMORY BEGAN (Priscilla Kounkou Hoveyda, Sierra Leone) UK Premiere
- THE WATERGAW (Lewis Cranston, Scotland) World Premiere
- FRATER (Valentin Guiod, France) International Premiere
- STEPMOTHER (Negar Naghavi, France, Turkey) International Premiere
- Animation Shorts
- BUG DINER (Phoebe Jane Hart, US) UK Premiere
- Short Film Jury Award for Animation winner at Sundance, 2024
- BUNNYHOOD (Mansi Maheshwari, UK) UK Premiere
- La Cinef Prize Winner at Cannes, 2024
- EXTREMELY SHORT (Koji Yamamura, Japan) UK Premiere
- FAIRGROUND FEVER (Linda Hughes, Scotland) World Premiere
- LIMINAL ROOTS (Aliyah Harfoot, UK) UK Premiere
- ON HOLD (Delia Hess, Switzerland) UK Premiere
- PLUNGE (Ellie Land, UK) World Premiere
- SILENT PANORAMA (Nicolas Piret, Belgium) International Premiere
- TAKO TSUBO (Sorgo Fanny, Pedroza Eva, Austria/Germany) UK Premiere
- THE BLEACHER (Adam Wilder, Nicole Daddona, United States) UK Premiere
- THREE BIRDS (Zarja Menart, Slovenia, Croatia) UK Premiere
- Experimental Shorts
- KYKLOP (Telemach Wiesinger, Germany) UK Premiere
- FRIEDL (Christiana Perschon, Austria) UK Premiere
- I DON’T WANT TO BE FILMED BUT RATHER SHOOT MYSELF (Friedl vom Gröller, Austria) UK Premiere
- OUR CAVE (Heehyun Choi, South Korea) International Premiere
- DESIRE PATH (Sofia Theodore-Pierce) UK Premiere
- TERMINAL ISLAND (Sam Drake, US) UK Premiere
- HOLOGRAPHIC WILL (Mike Stoltz, US) UK Premiere
- LIGHT, NOISE, SMOKE AND LIGHT, NOISE, SMOKE (Tomonari Nishikawa, Japan) UK
- Premiere
- BOSCO (Stefano Canapa, Lucie Leszez, France) UK Premiere
- ADRIFT POTENTIALS (Leonardo Pirondi, Brazil, United States) UK Premiere
- Bridging The Gap: Scottish Documentary Institute Shorts
- HEADLAND (Mariana Duarte, UK) World Premiere
- ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW (Lipa Hussain, UK) World Premiere
- SEEKING (Ciara Fint, UK) World Premiere
- THE FLOWERS STAND SILENTLY, WITNESSING (Theo Panagopoulos, UK) World
- Premiere
- Tickets
- Standard: £11
- Concession: £8
- This ticketing applies to most screenings across EIFF venues.
- Spotlight tickets
- Standard: £14
- Concession: £11
- EIFF Spotlight tickets are available for Opening and Closing Night, and for select screenings where there may be introductions or Q&As with actors and directors who are in attendance.
- Pay what you can tickets are also available across our screenings at £6 and £3.
- Essential companions go free.
- EIFF concessions support:
- Arts workers.
- Filmmakers and EIFF Industry and Press passholders.
- D/deaf and Disabled people.
- EH postcode area residents.
- People in receipt of benefits.
- Students.
- Under 18s.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
