Highlights from the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016
Edinburgh is home to the longest continually running film festival in the world.
Now in its 70th year, the Edinburgh International Film Festival has a global reputation for discovering and advancing the best cinema from around the world.
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016
Despite being an international cultural hub, the city of Edinburgh still feels very intimate. This feeling of intimacy sets the Edinburgh International Film Festival apart from other major film festivals like Venice or Cannes, giving a rare sense of proximity to the action.
Founded in 1947 as the International Festival of Documentary Films, the festival was set up by the Edinburgh Film Guild alongside the city’s inaugural performing arts festival, the Edinburgh International Festival. Focusing at first on factual films, the festival has since expanded to include fiction film, animation and experimental work.
Early visitors to the festival include such screen legends as John Huston and Gene Kelly, and recent years have seen some of the world’s biggest names accept invitations to appear: Jennifer Lawrence, Elijah Wood and Ewan McGregor, to name but a few. In recent years, the film has premiered such titles as The Hurt Locker, Moon and Billy Elliot.
We have hand-picked some highlights from this year’s festival, and you can watch the scenes from the red carpet—as well as interviews with some of the key guests—below:
Take a look at Kids in Love, a film that has captivated young audiences—as well as old—with its take on the classic coming-of-age narrative. Hear its stars talk about what makes this tale soperennially fascinating.
One of Hollywood’s biggest names from the past four decades Meg Ryan was at this year’s International Film Festival. She gave an extended talk about her latest project and directorial debut, Ithaca. Watch the discussion in the film below.
2016 marks the anniversary of cult classic Highlander, and star Clancy Brown, who played legendary baddie The Kurgan, was at the International Film Festival to talk about its legacy. Watch his responses, delivered from the red carpet, to questions submitted by Twitter users and hear his thoughts on why the film’s popularity has endured.