Edinburgh International Film Festival Launches Its 69th Edition

‘There’s something for everyone’ The new moto for Edinburgh International Film Festival director Mark Adams and at the launch for 69th edition of the festival.At Filmhouse in Edinburgh  the festival will showcase 164 features from 36 countries, including 24 World Premieres, 8 International Premieres, 16 European Premieres, 84 UK Premieres and 2 Scottish Premieres.

The festival is set to run from 17th until 28th June with the oldest film festival in the world will open and close with Scottish film. Opening with the world premiere of  Robert Caryle‘s directorial debut The Legend of Barney Thomson with Caryle in lead role alongside Emma Thomson and Ray Winstone. A dark comedy of a Glaswegian Barber turned serial killer, Scott Graham‘s IONA will close the festival a film starring Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D actress Ruth Negga

The Festival boasts 134 new features, with highlights including the UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s striking documentary AMY, about the life of music legend Amy Winehouse; the latest Disney-Pixar animated sensation INSIDE OUT, screening as the Festival’s Family Gala; Arnold Schwarzenegger as a tormented father tending his zombie daughter in MAGGIE; Andrew Mogel & Jarrad Paul’s THE D-TRAIN, starring Jack Black and James Marsden; while John Cusack and Paul Dano play different aged versions of Beach Boys legend Brian Walker in masterful music film LOVE & MERCY. Classic Screenings will include a rare outing for Noel Marshall’s ROAR, a legendary bizarre cult 1981 big cat movie.

As ever the usual list of special guest will be in attendance with Malcolm McDowell, Jane Seymour and two great cinematographers in conversation, Seamus McGarvey and Haskell Wexler. Two stand out will be legendary Hong Kong director Johnnie To who will bring his classic crime thriller Exiled to the festival. The hottest ticket in town will be Ewan McGregor will have an audience with event but also his latest film Last Days In The Desert making it’s UK premiere.

Mark Adams, EIFF Artistic Director, said: “We are delighted to be presenting such a thrilling, fun, challenging, provocative, exciting and balanced programme. There really is something for everyone and we hope that filmgoers will get a lot of pleasure out of this year’s festival.”

We will as ever be in attendance at Edinburgh International Film Festival with Andrew and Scott our local writer delivering us the best from the Fest. There is many films that will be screened at the festival we have already reviewed from Sundance, Berlin and Sxsw so we’ll tie them into this year’s coverage . We can say after a few mixed years 69th Edition if the festival is looking more like the festival we love.

Full list of Edinburgh International Film Festival and book your tickets head to the official website

MICHAEL POWELL AWARD

The Legend Of Barney Thomson, Robert Carlyle (opening film)
Iona, Scott Graham (closing film)
45 Years, Andrew Haigh
Black Mountain Poets, Jamie Adams
Blood Cells, Joseph Bull and Luke Seomore
Brand New-U, Simon Pummell
Hector, Jake Gavin
The Incident, Jane Linfoot
Norfolk, Martin Radich
North v South, Steven Nesbit
The Pyramid Texts, Ludwig and Paul Shammasian
Swung, Colin Kennedy
The Violators, Helen Walsh

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

13 Minutes, Oliver Hirschbiegel
600 Miles, Gabriel Ripstein
The Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Marielle Heller
Dope, Rick Famuyiwa
I Stay With You, Artemio Narro
Len And Company, Tim Godsall
Manson Family Vacation, J Davis
Night Shift, Niki Karimi
Out Of Nature, Ole Giæver and Marte Vold
Paradise In Service, Doze Niu Chen-Zer
The Stanford Prison Experiment, Kyle Patrick Alvarez
You’re Ugly Too, Mark Noonan.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Above And Below, Nicolas Steiner
All Of Me, Arturo Gonzalez Villasenor
Amy, Asif Kapadia
Chuck Norris vs Communism, Ilinca Calugareanu
The Closer We Get, Karen Guthrie
The First Film, David Nicholas Wilkinson
Nearby Sky, Nujoom Alghanem
The Newsroom – Off The Record, Mikala Krogh
Prophet’s Prey, Amy Berg
Stand By For Tape Back-Up, Ross Sutherland
That Sugar Film, Damon Gameau
The Wolfpack, Crystal Moselle
Big Gold Dream: Scottish Post-Punk And Infiltrating The Mainstream, Grant McPhee
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story Of The National Lampoon, Douglas Tirola
Future Shock! The Story Of 2000AD, Paul Goodwin
The Iron Ministry, JP Sniadecki
Misery Loves Comedy, Kevin Pollack
Precinct Seven Five, Tiller Russell
Remake, Remix, Rip-Off, Cem Kaya
Sherry & The Mystery Of Palo Cortado, José Luis López-Linares
Sunshine Superman, Marah Strauch
When Elephants Fight, Michael Ramsdell.

AUDIENCE AWARD NOMINEES

Amy, Asif Kapadia
Big Gold Dream…, Grant McPhee
Cop Car, John Watts
Desert Dancer, Richard Raymond
Learning To Drive, Isabel Coixet
Scottish Mussel, Talulah Riley
The Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Marielle Heller
The Messenger, David Blair
The Overnight, Patrick Brice
The Stanford Prison Experiment, Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Under Milk Wood, Kevin Allen
You’re Ugly Too, Mark Noonan