Resurgent and full of new energy, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has just dropped its full programme line-up for next month’s festival.
The fest will open on August 14 with Eva Victor’s black comedy Sorry, Baby, starring Naomi Ackie, and will close six days (and nights) later with the world premiere of a new documentary about local legend Irvine Welsh, Reality Is Not Enough.
Running from August 14-20, the official line-up includes 43 new feature films. There are 18 world premieres and six retrospective screenings for festival-goers to choose from, as well as a host of talks and in conversation events with an array of prestigious filmmakers.
Sharing their wisdom and experience will be Andrew and Kevin Macdonald, Andrea Arnold, Ben Wheatley and his producer Andy Starke, and Nia DaCosta, director of next year’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Films to look out for on the line-up include Gerard Johnson’s new thriller Odyssey, Dominik Moll’s Cannes-endorsed police thriller Case 137, the Dardenne brothers’ new drama Young Mothers, and Helen Walsh’s windswept romantic drama On the Sea, which could be mussel farming’s answer to God’s Own Country.
The festival’s cult strand, Midnight Madness, delivers the new remake of The Toxic Avenger, starring Peter Dinklage and Elijah Wood, and the world premiere of Ben Wheatley’s new film Bulk. ‘This is a midnight film through and through,’ says Wheatley. ‘Car chases, gun fights, sci-fi and romance. Thanks to Edinburgh for having us. It’s going to be a wild night.’
Old-school cinephiles will also relish the chance to watch a six-shooter’s worth of Budd Boetticher westerns, with the Hollywood B-movie legend’s films, including Ride Lonesome, getting a rare retrospective at this year’s festival.
The recent reopening of Edinburgh’s legendary Filmhouse cinema restores one of the EIFF’s key venues to this year’s line-up. Other venues include Cameo Cinema, Vue Omni, comedy club Monkey Barrel Comedy, and a new pop-up screen at the National Gallery of Scotland’s Hawthornden Theatre.
Check out the full line-up at the official website.
The London Film Festival’s opening film has been announced – and it’s going to be murder.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025: your ultimate guide.