Edinburgh Film Festival Redux

Sixty-Seven Years in the Making

The 2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has come a long way since its inception in 1947. After a tumultuous period marked by the collapse of its former parent charity, the Centre for the Moving Image, in 2022, the festival’s relaunch was met with a palpable sense of relief.

Eva Yates, director of BBC Film, recalled the previous year’s scaled-back edition, saying that no one was quite sure what the future held for the festival. However, festival director Paul Ridd and producer Emma Boa had generally pulled it off, despite a shaky start, and there’s a sense that EIFFredux is a work-in-progress with a positive future.

A New Direction

Ridd has made it clear that he wants the festival to have an international focus, akin to Sundance. He is supported by festival producer Emma Boa, and Scotland-born chair and vice-chair Andrew Macdonald and producer Amy Jackson. The festival’s programme spoke to Ridd’s international outlook, with three out of the 10 world premieres in the competition strand from the UK.

Competition and Feedback

This year’s festival featured the inaugural Sean Connery £50,000 filmmaking prize, awarded to Jack King’s The Ceremony. None of the competition titles were from Scotland-based directors, although the opening and closing films were more local offerings, with Sundance and Berlinale title The Outrun kicking things off, and music doc Since Yesterday: The Untold Story Of Scotland’s Girl Bands closing the festival.

Delegates had mixed feelings about the use of Fringe venues for screenings and events, with some appreciating the new spaces and others lamenting a lack of proper seating and professionalism. The absence of a decent central meeting point was also a issue, although the rebooting of former EIFF hub the Edinburgh Filmhouse, which is forecast to reopen next spring, could solve this problem.

A Bright Future Ahead

EIFF is back in business, and the industry will be watching closely to see where it goes next. With a fresh new direction and a commitment to innovation, the festival is poised to continue its rich tradition of showcasing the best in international and domestic filmmaking.

FAQs

* When is the next Edinburgh International Film Festival?
The festival is scheduled to take place in June 2024.
* How many world premieres were there at the 2023 festival?
Ten world premieres were featured in the competition strand, with three from the UK.
* What is the Sean Connery £50,000 filmmaking prize?
It is a new award presented by Bafta Scotland to support the production of new Scottish films.
* Who is festival director Paul Ridd?
He is a film industry veteran who has moved from London to Edinburgh to lead the festival.