EIFF is the world’s oldest continually running film festival.
Opening this year with the international Premiere of Edinburgh-born filmmaker Louis Paxton’s debut feature The Incomer, and closing with the World Premiere of Louise Lockwood’s powerful documentary Bel, the festival brings together filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences through an exciting programme of international cinema, World, International and UK premieres and In Conversation events with major industry talent.
There’s plenty of competition for attention in Edinburgh in August, but EIFF manages to captivate the city, an audience vote deciding its two centrepiece competitions; The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, which carries a cash prize of £50K, and The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence, which carries a cash prize of £15K. Pure dead brilliant!
Opening Gala THE INCOMER
Still grieving the disappearance of her scientist father, amateur teenaged astronomer Maz (Stocks) is convinced she has spotted something suspicious hovering above her sleepy Welsh hometown. Recruiting the support of her best mate Little Elis (Moya), UFO-obsessed conspiracy theorist Bryn (Barnard) and local psychic Shifty Gruff (Sheen), Maz and her gang of misfits set out to uncover the truth, one that is far more complex than they might have expected. Breathlessly paced, wittily evoking its 1999 setting via superb music choices, costumes and production design, this charming Welsh debut from director Simon Ryninks is poignant, funny and entirely unpredictable
by Simon Ryninks with Alice Lowe, Aneurin Barnard, Iwan Rheon, Matthew Aubrey, Michael Sheen, Nerys Amber Stocks, Olivia Southgate, Remy Beasley, Tom Moya
Abdolreza Kahani (A Shrine, Mortician, winner of The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, EIFF 2025) returns to EIFF once more with a confidently and cleverly crafted character study. When a lonely Iranian dissident becomes embroiled with a local criminal mob in Canada, their bullish bidding leads to complex turns of events. Clean, inventive cinematography and beautifully calibrated performances set against frosty Canadian snowscapes, this is a crisp, lean and dry-humoured thriller rich in thematic depth that once again demonstrates Kahani’s mastery of cinema.
by Abdolreza Kahani withAida Rezaei, Diana Laalkaei, Fatima Rouzi, Hamidreza Hosseini, Hanieh Borghei, Hesam Sobhani, Hossein Tofighian, Mahdi Eftekhari, Misa Tabarzadi, Nima Sadr, Pouya Razavi, Zahra Masoumi
Set in Northern Ireland in 1994 during the IRA ceasefire, best friends Vinny and Jonty party with friends, cut deals and make plans to escape small town life. The uncertainty and instability of the time conspire against them in Kieron J. Walsh’s vivid portrait of disenfranchised youth, 90s rave culture and a turbulent period in recent Irish history. Balancing humour, wit and pathos and bolstered by great performances from a terrific cast including Jack Rowan, Chris Walley, Jamie Lee O’Donnell and Hope Ikpoku Jnr. and a killer 90s soundtrack featuring Prodigy, Elastica, Happy Mondays, Jeff Mills and Carl Cox, this is a propulsive, poignant period piece.
by Kieron J. Walsh with Chris Walley, Jack Rowan
A vivid, immersive and visually striking portrait of the founder of the satirical publication Mad magazine and its far-reaching influence on some of the most prominent artists of our time. Kurtzman’s commitment to integrity and challenging the status quo with humour, edge and resilience is a hymn for our times. Rich in historical context, artistic expression, contemporary politics and artfully weaving thoughtful reflections from contributors including Terry Gilliam, the late Stan Lee and Robert Crumb, this is a compelling, insightful exploration of counterculture, commerce and creative. compromise and the power of conviction in raw truth and honesty.
by Bart Simpson with Adele Kurtzman, Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, Art Spiegelman, Denis Kitchen, Gareth Gaudin, James Warren, Karen Green, Matt Groening, Meredith Kurtzman, Nellie Kurtzman, Pete Poplaski, Robert Crumb, Sarah Downs, Sergio Aragones, Terry Gilliam, William Stout
Three estranged siblings reunite in rural Italy after the middle sister has been released from psychiatric treatment following a breakdown, one she experienced as a deep spiritual awakening. As this troubled young woman behaves more erratically and relationships fracture, the local community takes on an unexpected significance as power dynamics shift and change. Frieda Luk’s artfully composed and highly compelling debut feature is a deftly woven, unpredictable and black-humoured thriller of superstition, idolatry and communal faith with a distinctive magical realist edge.
by Frieda Luk with Antonoio De Matteo, James Cusati-Moyer, Olivia Luccardi, Pia Engleberth, Romina D’Ugo
In an attempt to come to terms with their grief, a couple welcome a humanoid robot version of their deceased son into their home. Under the characteristically subtle and nuanced direction of Kore-Eda, what begins as a thoughtful study of parental emotion and loss subtly transforms into a thematically rich and thorny exploration of artificial intelligence, our responsibility with it and towards it and what the future might look like with this technology as a part of daily life. Part human drama, part grounded sci-fi, this beautifully acted and moving film asks many complex questions whilst never losing its core humanity and pathos.
by Kore-eda Hirokazu with Ayase Haruka, Daigo, Kuwaki Rimu
Out of Competition MY NDA
Out of Competition PERIL AT PINCER POINT
Out of Competition EXTRA GEOGRAPHY
Out of Competition NORTHBOUND
Out of Competition I WANT YOUR SEX
Edinburgh International Film Festival 13–19 August 2026.
