37 new feature films, 18 World Premieres including 10 World Premieres competing for the new Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, 4 special retrospective screenings, 5 short film programmes including the new Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence competition, an In Conversation event with iconic filmmaker Gaspar Noé and a strand of thrilling Midnight Madness screenings make up a seven-day celebration of world-class new cinema which also allows audiences, press and industry to easily engage with the best of Edinburgh’s other arts and cultural Festivals.
This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) programme features musical odysseys, dystopian worlds, laughter in the face of darkness, vivid portraits of characters from the fringes of society and reimagined inner and outer spaces. It showcases new work from filmmakers from the UK, US, Canada, Mexico, Norway, China, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Iran and beyond.
EIFF is pleased to be working with venue partners. The previously announced Cameo Cinema and Summerhall joins new EIFF spaces embedding the Festival in the heart of the Fringe landscape with screenings taking place at 50 George Square, which will be run in partnership with Assembly Festival; Inspace on Crichton Street which will be run in partnership with Monkey Barrel Comedy Club; and Tollcross Central Hall, in a programme which champions a new generation of UK and international talent, including a strong selection of first and second features.
Complementing the previously announced Opening Night film, Nora Fingscheidt's The Outrun starring Saoirse Ronan, 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 Carla J. Easton and Blair Young’s powerful new documentary Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland's Girl Bands, which sits within a strong presence for Scottish filmmakers and Scottish talent also elsewhere in the programme.
Competing for The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, ten feature-length World Premieres will be presented, with the winning filmmaker being awarded £50,000 to support their future projects. Decided on by an audience vote, the winner will be announced at the end of the Festival and the award is fully funded by The Sean Connery Foundation.
Tales of healing, justice and revolution fuel this year’s Out of Competition feature-length films, which showcase a selection of World and UK Premieres.
Alongside the presentation of the inaugural Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Competition Shorts, the legendary Thelma Schoonmaker will attend the Festival and introduce a retrospective screening of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell’s much loved film I Know Where I'm Going (1945) set on the Isle of Mull.
Retrospective screenings of the work of cult auteur Brian De Palma include a special presentation of The Untouchables, presented by The Connery Foundation, and a 50th anniversary screening of his no-holds-barred rock horror musical Phantom of the Paradise.
Master provocateur Gaspar Noé (Irreversible, Climax, Enter The Void) will attend the Festival for a special In Conversation event discussing his career and filmmaking, ahead of presenting a screening of Dario Argento’s horror masterpiece Suspiria.
Lynda Myles Celebrates is a new special screening showcase for a visionary new work of cinema in the pioneering spirit of writer, academic and former EIFF director Lynda Myles. This year’s film is the World Premiere of Argentinian filmmaker Axel Cheb Terrab’s film Gala & Kiwi which will be presented to audiences by Lynda.
This year’s industry programme runs across the first weekend of the Festival with industry delegates experiencing the wealth of the film programme and access to all that is on show in the wider festivals month via new collaborations with partners including Screen Fringe. More details on the EIFF Industry programme will follow in the next few weeks.
This year’s 77th edition of the Festival honours the film festival’s history, showcasing the very best talent in filmmaking in a format rooted in a local Scottish context whilst embracing the international diversity of creative expression. EIFF encourages audiences, film fans and industry professionals to make the trip this summer to Edinburgh.
EIFF Director, Paul Ridd has said “I am thrilled by what the team, our collaborators and our supporters have put together these past months for all sections of the programme and across our exciting new festival footprint. Through a spirit of collaboration, passion and above all teamwork, we have worked to fashion something special out of a shared vision for what we want this historic festival to be going forward, and to offer a platform to an enormous range of film work. Since day one, the audience has always been front and centre in our thinking. And I cannot wait to see these formally exciting, thematically rich and unforgettable films to find their audience with us. Bring it on.”
Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland said: “It’s quite some feat to have landed such an outstanding programme of world premieres, and globally and locally significant work in Year 1 of the rebooted festival. It’s a thrill to see Scottish films taking opening and closing night slots: the Orkney set The Outrun and documentary Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland's Girl Bands respectively.
"Scottish work punctuates the programme, and with major new competition strands in the name of Sean Connery and Thelma Schoonmaker, not to mention some stellar special guests, Edinburgh is back on the map in a major way. Congratulations to Paul, his chair Andrew Macdonald, fellow board members and exec team.”
Ben Luxford, Director of UK Audiences at the BFI, said: “It is wonderful Edinburgh is returning this summer with a great programme and seeing it redefine its footprint in the city. We are really pleased our support will help the Festival improve accessibility and engage new audiences.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Edinburgh is one of the best places in the world to experience events and EventScotland is proud to be supporting the 77th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Events play an important role in our communities by giving us the chance to connect and share memorable experiences. The exciting and diverse range of films in this year’s programme will provide the perfect stage to entice audiences to come together and explore a variety of cinematic ideas at one of the world’s longest running film festivals.”
Listings will go live on the EIFF website from 5pm on Wednesday 10 July with tickets going on sale midday on Thursday 11 July via the EIFF ticket website, the Edinburgh Fringe website and via the EdFringe official app. Press and Industry accreditation for EIFF is now open and closes on 2 August.
EIFF 2024 is supported by Screen Scotland and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, the Industry Programme is backed by EXPO funding from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland, and EventScotland part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
Selected programme highlights
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 Alvarez, 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 Jimenez, 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.
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 DePalma, 1989 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 DePalma, 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.
Out Of Competition Shorts In Association With Screen Academy Scotland
ANALOG MEDIUM (Tom Campbell, Australia) International Premiere
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
More information
Image credits
Header image: Still from Timestalker, courtesy of EIFF
Image 2: Still from Bogancloch, courtesy of EIFF
Image 3: Still from Xibalba Monster, courtesy of EIFF
Image 4: Still from The Radleys, courtesy of EIFF
Image 5: Still from Alien: Romulus, courtesy of EIFF
Image 6: Still from The Substance, courtesy of EIFF
Image 7: Still from Sunlight, courtesy of EIFF
Image 8: Image from The Untouchables, courtesy of EIFF