This year’s 78th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival will feature the world debut of an animated short film titled “They“, directed by Renée Zellweger, as well as screenings of six James Bond movies starring the late Sean Connery in a special program. Additionally, there will be panel discussions, or “In Conversation” events, with notable figures such as Andrew and Kevin Macdonald, Andrea Arnold, Ben Wheatley and Andy Starke, Nia DaCosta, among others.
This year’s movie lineup has some real gems that I can’t wait to see, such as “About a Hero” by Piotr Winiewicz, which features Vicky Krieps and was scripted by an AI system trained in Werner Herzog’s works. Additionally, there’s the brooding, stylish thriller “All the Devils Are Here,” written by Barnaby Roper and starring Eddie Marsan and Sam Claflin. I’m also intrigued by Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Islands,” a mysterious and Highsmith-esque existential thriller. Urška Djukic’s debut feature, the coming-of-age film “Little Trouble Girls” is another must-watch for me. Lastly, I’m excited to see Elliot Tuttle’s “Blue Film,” starring Kieron Moore and Reed Birney.
The documentaries being shown in Edinburgh include “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” by Sepideh Farsi, which is a moving and relevant documentary that records candid and personal video conversations with young Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona, as well as “Sanatorium” by Gar O’Rourke, a compassionate and insightful documentary providing a unique viewpoint on the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
The festival is spearheaded by CEO and festival director Paul Ridd, along with fest producer Emma Boa. The lineup includes 43 brand-new feature films, 18 of which are world premieres, such as 10 competing for the Sean Connery Prize for Outstanding Feature Film Directing. Additionally, there will be six special screenings that highlight notable retrospectives, including James Bond on the big screen, a tribute to filmmaker Budd Boetticher’s work, and various short film programs. Among these are the Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Excellence in Short Filmmaking competition, presentations of fresh short form works from the NFTS Sean Connery Lab, and the debut of a new animated movie by Renée Zellweger. In summary, Edinburgh has announced its impressive lineup.
Additionally, the much-loved Midnight Madness showings are set to make a comeback at the Scottish festival, taking place from August 14th to the 20th.
In an exclusive event called “Sacred Bonds,” all six James Bond films starring Sean Connery will be shown on the large screen. This includes 4K restorations of Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice, while Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever are also included. Notable personalities are yet to be announced who will introduce each film.
This festival had earlier announced its opening and closing films. The opening film was “Sorry, Baby” directed by Eva Victor, while the closing film was “Reality Is Not Enough,” a documentary by Paul Sng featuring Irvine Welsh.
Check out key parts of the Edinburgh film fest lineup below.
As a gamer,
First Up:
Sorry, Baby – UK Premiere
I’m excited to check out “Sorry, Baby” at its UK premiere! Directed by Eva Victor, this narrative feature stars Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, and Lucas Hedges. It hails from the US, Spain, and France, runs for 1 hour and 44 minutes, and is in English.
Bulk – World Premiere (Midnight Madness)
Can’t wait for the world premiere of “Bulk” at Midnight Madness! This nerve-wracking narrative feature is directed by Ben Wheatley, with a talented cast including Alexandra Maria Lara, Sam Riley, Noah Taylor, and Mark Monero. It’s from the UK and runs for 1 hour and 31 minutes, all in English.
Closing Night Films
Reality Falls Short | World Premiere | Midnight Madness
Directed by: Paul Sng. Documentary Feature. Starring: Irvine Welsh, Stephen Graham, Nick Cave, Maxine Peake, Olivia Caw, Ruth Negga. United Kingdom. 2025. 1hr 28min. English.
The Toxic Mutant | World Premiere | Midnight Madness
Directed by: Macon Blair. Narrative Feature. Starring: Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Julia Davis.
United States. 2023. 1hr 42min. English.
Screening with:
TOE | World Premiere
Directed by: Elly Howard. Narrative Short. Starring: Greta Titelman, Mikael Mattsson. United States. 2024.
13min. English.
” instead of “Presented with:” for consistency. The titles have also been slightly altered for clarity and flow.
Sean Connery Prize for Outstanding Feature Filmmaking
*Best Boy*, World Premiere
Director: Jesse Noah Klein. Narrative Feature. Cast: Lise Roy, Aaron Abrams, Caroline Dhavernas, Dylan Smith, Marc Bendavid. Canada. 2024. 1hr 31min. English.
*Blue Film*, World Premiere
Director: Elliot Tuttle. Narrative Feature. Cast: Kieron Moore, Reed Birney. United States. 2025. 1hr 28min. English.
*Concessions*, World Premiere
Director: Mas Bouzidi. Narrative Feature. Cast: Rob Riggle, J.K. Simmons, Chris Parnell, Nick Offerman. United States. 2025. 1hr 30min. English.
*The Toxic Avenger*, Midnight Madness
Director: Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman. Narrative Feature. Cast: Troma Team. United States. 1984. 86min. English.
*Dead Lover*, Midnight Madness
Director: Grace Glowicki. Narrative Feature. Cast: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Lowen Morrow. Canada. 2025. 1hr 22min. English.
*The Memory Blocks*, World Premiere
Director: Andrew Kötting. Experimental Feature. Cast: Eden Kötting, Charlie Stephens. United Kingdom. 2025. 1hr 17min. English.
*Surviving Earth*, European Premiere
Director: Thea Gajić. Narrative Feature. Cast: Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Stuart Martin. United Kingdom. 2024. 1hr 40min. English, Serbian with English subtitles.
*Zodiac Killer Project*, UK Premiere
Director: Charlie Shackleton. Documentary Feature. United Kingdom, United States. 2025. 1hr 32min. English.
*I Live Here Now*, The Evolution of Horror and EIFF present
Director: Julie Pacino. Narrative Feature. Cast: Lucy Fry, Matt Rife, Madeline Brewer, Sheryl Lee. United States. 2025. 1hr 32min. English.
*Redux Redux*, UK Premiere
Directors: Matthew McManus, Kevin McManus. Narrative Feature. Cast: Michaela McManus, Stella Marcus. United States. 2025. 1hr 47min. English.
The following films will screen with the specified shorts:
*Drainomania*, UK Premiere (Screening with *I Live Here Now*)
Director: Christopher Greenslate. Narrative Short. Cast: Gabrielle Maiden, Sally Maersk. United States. 2025. 15min. English.
*Death’s Peak*, World Premiere (Screening with *Dead Lover*)
Director: Willy Fair. Animation Short. Cast: Simon Pavelich. United Kingdom. 2025. 9min.
*Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting*, UK Premiere (Screening with *Redux Redux*)
Director: Alex Thompson. Narrative Short. Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Milly Shapiro. United States. 2025. 18min. English.
*Sleazy Tiger*, World Premiere (Screening with *Odyssey*)
Director: James Ley. Narrative Short. Cast: Jay Newton, Jack Douglas, Alan Cumming. United Kingdom. 2024. 15min.
*Terence*, UK Premiere (Screening with *Misper*)
Director: Edem Kelman. Narrative Short. Cast: Terence Nzaji-Egnie. United Kingdom. 2024. 15min. English.
*Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk*, UK Premiere (Screening with *Little Trouble Girls*)
Director: Sepideh Farsi. Documentary Feature. Featuring: Fatma Hassona. France, Palestine, Iran. 2025. 1hr 50min.
*Sanatorium*, UK Premiere (Screening with *Young Mothers*)
Director: Gar O’Rourke. Documentary Feature. Ireland, Ukraine, France. 2025. 1hr 31min. Ukrainian with English subtitles.
*Walk With Me*, UK Premiere (Screening with *The Toxic Avenger*)
Director: Heidi Levitt. Documentary Feature. Featuring: Heidi Levitt, Charlie Hess. United States. 2024. 1hr 30min.
*Truckload*, World Premiere (Screening with *Odyssey*)
Director: Aella Jordan-Edge. Narrative Short. Cast: Evie Jones, Jodie Whittaker, Joe Dempsie. United Kingdom. 2025. 19min. English.
*Young Mothers*, International Premiere
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne. Narrative Feature. Cast: Babette Verbeek, Janaina Halloy Fokan, Samia Hilmi, Elsa Houben, Lucie Laruelle. Belgium, France. 2025. 1hr 45min.
*Little Trouble Girls*, UK Premiere
Director: Urška Djukic. Narrative Feature. Cast: Jara Sofija Ostan, Mina Švajger, Saša Tabaković. Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, France. 2025. 1hr 40min. Slovenian with English Subtitles.
*Odyssey*, European Premiere
Director: Gerard Johnson. Narrative Feature. Cast: Polly Maberly, Mikael Persbrandt, Jasmine Blackborow. United Kingdom. 2025. 1hr 50min. English.
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2025-07-02 18:25