The world’s oldest continuously-running film festival, the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival returns to the capital to make up a seven-day celebration of world-class new cinema. These last two years, led by CEO & Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the EIFF has been re-energised, pushing forward in new directions and embracing the international diversity of creative expression while rooted in the local Scottish context.

It features two centrepiece competitions dedicated to the discovery of new talent: the £50,000 Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, and The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence (£15K), both decided by audience vote.

The EIFF runs alongside a host of other creative festivals in Edinburgh in August, including The Fringe, International Festival, International Book Festival, International Art Festival, TV Festival and many more.

This year sees the return of the Filmhouse cinema as a prime venue, following the completion of its refurbishment in June. The full programme can be seen on the EIFF website (see left).