This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival has something old and something new.
CEO and Festival Director, Paul Ridd, is still relatively recently appointed and he is keen to keep on discovering new film talent and work to engage with the audiences. But room has been made in the programme for some James Bond and Restless Natives as well as Red Road and some highly interesting guests at in person events.
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.
The highlights include:
- 43 new feature films
- 18 World Premieres (10 of which will compete for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence)
- 6 special retrospective screenings – James Bond on the big screen and a Budd Boetticher celebration
- 6 short film programmes including the Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence competition
- A new short form work by the inaugural NFTS Sean Connery Lab
- World Premiere of an animation by Renée Zellweger
- In Conversation events with some acclaimed filmmakers
- And Midnight Madness screenings
Complementing the 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 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.
Watch 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, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and all introduced by a series of soon to be announced special guests.
Mr Ridd 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!”
In Conversation
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, via hilarious black comedy Sightseers and many more, 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, along with her critically acclaimed work such as Fish Tank, American Honey, Cow and, most recently, Bird.
Special Retrospective Screenings
This year’s EIFF plays host to 6 Special Retrospective Screenings which are Mikhail Kalatozov’s hugely influential Palme D’Or winner THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1957) introduced by Festival guest Kevin Macdonald; Doug Liman’s kinetic black comedy GO (1999) introduced by Festival guest Nia Da Costa; Alexander Mackendrick’s classic Ealing comedy THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (1951); a 40th anniversary screening of Michael Hoffman’s much loved RESTLESS NATIVES, presented in collaboration with Local Cinema Network; Festival guest Andrea Arnold introduces her tense, Glasgow set RED ROAD (2006); Honouring the life and legacy of producer Paddy Higson, who passed away earlier this year, the Festival hosts a 35th anniversary screening of David Hayman’s searing underground Scottish classic SILENT SCREAM, the film which won the inaugural Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature at the 1990 Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Listings for the Festival will go live on the EIFF website from 5pm on Wednesday 2 July with tickets going on sale midday on Thursday 3 July via edfilmfest.org and via the EdFringe official app. Press and Industry accreditation for EIFF is now open and closes on 2 August.
Edinburgh International Film Festival runs from Thursday 14 to Wednesday 20 August 2025.
