Four screens in Cineworld, Fountainpark screening films as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

In an effort to recover their failing channel and friendship, two urban explorers delve deep into the forests of northern England following a tip-off from a new subscriber. After crashing their drone on top of an abandoned facility, they are compelled to venture deeper. Blending cinematic filmmaking with raw found-footage immediacy, Joby Stephens’ feature directorial debut effortlessly unsettles and scares in equal measure, permeating the screen with a quiet horror that lingers well after viewing.

Abandoned

Imaginative, unsettling, inspiring. This collection of global animation explores human connection in distinct, memorable ways, acting as a powerful reminder of how the medium can surprise and challenge in every genre.

Animation Shorts

After waking in a trashed London hotel room with no memory of who he is, Karl Davis (John Hannah) discovers a dead body in his bathtub, a fresh surgical wound on his chest and a bottle of pills warning him to keep his heart rate under control or die. Before he can piece together what happened, police arrive at his door, but they aren’t there to help, they’ve been sent to kill him. Forced to fight for his life, Karl displays extraordinary combat skills he doesn't remember possessing.

Bad Day at the Office

Louise Lockwood’s debut theatrical documentary is a compelling, sensitive portrait of Beldina Odenyo, the Kenyan-Scottish musician, singer and songwriter, who performed under the stage name, Heir of the Cursed and worked across Scotland’s theatre and poetry communities. After her acclaimed performance at the Scottish Album of the Year Awards in 2021, Bel took her own life, leaving behind raw, intimate video diaries and a hard drive full of original songs of great beauty. This stirring and beautifully composed film documents the journey her sister and friends took to release her work posthumously.

Intent on exposing the cosmetics industry for exploiting insecurities through unrealistic beauty standards, an environmental activist falls in love with a ballerina with her own obsession with unattainable beauty, becoming dangerously drawn into the world of underground plastic surgery. Director Carlos Conceicao’s English language debut is deliciously noir-ish body horror in the David Cronenberg mould; a sensual world of beauty and flesh, put under the microscope and the scalpel.

Bodyhackers

In the 1970s, writer and student Jay Parini (Whitehead) finds himself committed to driving blind poet Jorge Luis Borges (Gnecco) across the Scottish countryside. Over the course of an eventful journey the pair form a complex and rich bond, imbued with poetry, music and melancholy. Beautifully adapted from Parini’s memoir, this gorgeously shot and superbly acted film from director Marc Turtletaub evokes memory, time and place with remarkably vivid and clear-eyed candour. Featuring terrific supporting performances from Scottish acting legends Alan Cumming, Peter Mullan and Freya Mavor, this is literate and grown-up filmmaking of the highest order.

Borges and Me

After the death of bassist Scott LaFaro, the musician Bill Evans stops playing. Set during a little-known four-month period in the jazz legend's life, Grant Gee's absorbing drama follows Evans as he retreats from the spotlight and struggles to find a way forward through grief. Eschewing the familiar rhythms of the music biopic, this is a melancholic and formally adventurous work, anchored by a remarkable Anders Danielsen Lie performance. A gripping portrait of artistic creation and loss and the people who help us endure both.

Everybody Digs Bill Evans CANCELLED

The iconic series is given a gloriously meta and intelligent update in this macabre reboot. When a website content moderator discovers a series of disturbing clips that seem eerily similar to scenes from the original Faces of Death franchise, she quickly becomes caught up in a world of violent videos and the psycho killer producing them. With a terrific cast including Euphoria’s Barbia Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery and Charli XCX, this slick, stylish and wildly entertaining thrill ride will have you on the edge of your seat right through to its shocking conclusion.

Faces of Death

Grief and heartbreak juxtaposed with renewal and new beginnings shape this year’s short film competition. With films from across the world including Lithuania, France, Iran and Scotland, and featuring powerhouse performances from some of Britain’s finest acting talents, the programme is a showcase for the power of storytelling within a limited runtime. Competing for the £15,000 prize to aid future projects, each film offers hope for cinema and the next generation of talent.

Competition Shorts

Three seemingly disconnected stories unfold across New York City. Gus Birney stars as Violet, a jaded arcade worker, Sinopia, an upper-class professor bored with her marriage, and Jade, an endlessly cool young woman who decides to help a stranger out of her debt. Meanwhile, a woman with a suitcase (Constance Shulman) moves through the city in search of the doppelganger trying to take over her life. Surreal, comedic and reflexive, this film plays out like free jazz, with writer-director Schaefer deftly pulling us through this whirlwind black-and-white flight of fancy.

The Arrow at Rest at Every Instant of its Flight

EIFF is delighted to present the World Premieres of the most exciting new short form documentaries coming from Scotland, supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute through the Bridging the Gap training programme.

Bridging the Gap Shorts

An apparently idyllic house boat trip is thrown into disarray when Diane (Rabe) and her children are rocked by revelations of financial strife kept secret by obstinate husband Ray (Ifans). At sea and with a chaotic holiday ahead of them, the family struggles to keep it together and face an uncertain future, but not before competing in a truly epic fishing competition. With an easy-going charm, affection for its complex characters, and a real sense of place, Lindsey Ryan’s beautifully filmed and hilarious American indie debut tackles a very contemporary story of economic uncertainty with optimism, warmth and humour.

Capsized

In early nineteenth-century Edinburgh, two women run a girls’ boarding school, trying to build an independent life in a world with little room for women outside convention. When a wealthy grandmother enrols her granddaughters, including 15-year-old Jane Cumming, the school’s fragile balance begins to shift. Jane’s isolation, the teachers’ concern and the pressures of respectability soon lead to an accusation that changes all their lives. Based on true events, Sophie Heldman’s beautifully made period drama explores prejudice, reputation and the cost of surviving in a strict and unforgiving society.

The Education of Jane Cumming

From haunted objects to living landscapes, these films trace porous boundaries between bodies, matter, memory and space. Traversing archives, protests, ruins and dreams, they invite us into ways of sensing the unstable world we inhabit.

Experimental Shorts

In their final year at boarding school in the early 2000s, two best friends with their own shared language and offbeat ideas about growing up set themselves the task of falling in love with their geography teacher. Two breakout star turns from Galaxie Clear and Marni Duggan and a vivid sense of time and place set the stage in Molly Manners delightful exploration of female friendship and adolescent intimacy. Fresh, charming and original, this is a freewheeling and richly realised coming of age comedy drama with distinct personality and tone.

Extra Geography

Living out existence in an abandoned wind turbine high above an endless ocean, ultra tough Fenna (Braeckman) has become used to surviving alone in the aftermath of a climate catastrophe. But when a violent storm separates her from home, she embarks on an odyssey across the vast wetlands of a post-apocalyptic landscape. Along the way Fenna will encounter other survivors and rediscover connection, community and life before the end of the world. Resourcefully and beautifully shot in real Holland locations, debut director Thom Lunshof’s film is thoughtful and unsettling. A unique, compelling and urgent film for our times.

First Zone

Glamorous young actresses are targeted by the killer Leather Man and a vengeful GI searches for his daughter in this hypnotic, ultraviolent film from Nicolas Winding Refn. Set against the backdrop of a surreal, neon-soaked city, a bizarre high-rise hotel, the violent streets of retrofuturist urban sprawl and extravagant film production sets, this strange, unsettling and deeply beautiful neo-Giallo is an exercise in gleeful filmmaking style. A terrific, pounding new score from regular Brian DePalma collaborator Pino Donaggio is icing on the cake for fans of psychedelic cinema and baroque excess. Quite simply this is pure cinema.

Her Private Hell

When a group of tourists ventures off the beaten track in the vast swamplands of the Louisiana Bayou, they find themselves trapped in a claustrophobic open locale by a very large, very active, very food-centred hippo. As the group fights to survive the impossible, relationships form and shatter and the hostile environment closes in. Taut, tense and tightly constructed with playful nods to genre conventions and highly impactful practical effects, this is a hugely enjoyable, heart-pounding survival thriller that is made to be watched with a raucous midnight audience.

Hungry

Stuck in a relationship going nowhere with his girlfriend Minerva (Charli xcx) and confused about his sexuality, frustrated and neurotic twentysomething Elliott (Hoffman) finds himself suddenly at the sexual beck and call of his boss, domineering and ultra-confident art gallery boss Erika (Wilde). Is this a toxic relationship or is there something deeper growing between these apparently very different people? Exploring generational differences, sexual politics and queerness with his customary visual panache, fearlessness and affection, iconic director Araki makes a welcome return to feature filmmaking with this hilarious and weirdly moving battle of the sexes.

I Want Your Sex

How far would you go to save your child? This is the moral quandary an on-the-rocks husband and wife face in Caleb J. Phillips’ new reality-bender. When their child goes missing, Marie and Paul’s already contentious marriage faces its toughest challenge yet. At their wits' end, Marie stumbles into a means of finding their baby. What she brings back, however, might not be their son. Tearing through the fabric of their marriage and reality itself, the rabbit hole’s journey gives them far more than they’ve bargained for. Starring Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) and Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll).

Imposters

Raised on a remote Scottish island, oddball siblings Isla (Rankin) and Sandy (O’Rourke) spend their days hunting, squabbling and telling stories. But when nervy council official Daniel (Gleeson) arrives intent on moving them along, the pair must wrestle with the threat and exciting possibilities of the mainland. Crammed with intriguingly strange characters and performed with aplomb by a wonderful cast, this terrific debut from director Louis Paxton fuses surreal humour, warmth and pathos. Winner of the NEXT Innovator Award at the Sundance Film Festival, this is a delightful and moving comedy about loneliness, connection and the unknown.

The Incomer

A sun-drenched Gran Canaria resort becomes the unlikely setting for an urgent moral reckoning. When an unexpected incident leaves a family bound to a refugee in desperate need, nothing that follows is straightforward or comfortable. With lead performances that are raw and utterly compelling, Sødahl directs with precision and humanity, crafting a film as tense as it is timely. One of the most urgent and necessary films of the year.

The Last Resort

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 contemporary artists. 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.

The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman

Following a spirited DJ’s search for her missing friend on an island in Gran Canaria, this tense thriller unfolds through striking imagery, a growing sense of unease and a pulsing techno score. Outstanding performances from Pom Klementieff and Benoît Magimel, combined with director Guillaume Nicloux’s distinctively edgy style, make this a captivating and intense experience primed for the big screen.

Mi Amor

Dylan (MacKay) has reached the end of his tether with his dead-end job and lonely, unfulfilling existence. Over the course of a week he blows his life up, seeking meaning in the wake of extreme chaos as he wrestles with trying to feel alive and finding a reason to continue. Paul Wright’s immersive, expressionistic portrait of a young man’s existential angst and directionless fury is vividly composed and frenetically paced. Filmed in Scotland, crackling with anarchic energy and featuring a compelling performance from MacKay, this is a bold, visionary film that demands to be seen on the big screen.

Mission

EIFF is honoured to partner with NFTS Scotland and The Sean Connery Foundation for a second year to present the world premiere of six short films created via the NFTS Sean Connery Talent Lab. These enterprising, innovative shorts showcase the work of talented emerging filmmakers in Scotland.

NFTS Sean Connery Lab Shorts

Frustrated with living out his final days in a nursing home, elderly rogue Arthur (Dern) recruits his uptight grandson Kevin (Parrish) to break him out. Together the pair head north to Canada, picking up an enigmatic stranger (Fox) along the way. Acidly funny, unpredictable and ultimately very moving, this sharply directed and superbly acted film from William Scoular is a showcase for Bruce Dern’s magnetic screen presence and feeling for a character who positively bursts off the screen. Featuring a final performance from legendary actor Graham Greene as well as superb supporting turns from Joanna Cassidy and Dylan Baker.

Northbound

Abuses of power and intense relationship dynamics are explored through surrealism and striking realism in this year’s programme featuring incisive and radical filmmaking from across the globe.

Out of Competition Shorts

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 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 early 2000s setting via superb music choices, costumes and production design, this charming Welsh debut from director Simon Ryninks is poignant, funny and entirely unpredictable.

OUT THERE

Two young girls flee their hometown drawn by the seductive promise of the Hollywood they imagine from the old classics they idolise. Embarking on a road trip for which they're ill-equipped, the American dream soon fractures as they encounter the dark underbelly of the sex industry and the fabric of their friendship starts to unravel. Tyler Marie-Evans’ stylish, melancholic and jaggedly beautiful debut feature is a compelling, female-centred portrait of vulnerability and disillusionment in a world of artifice. Featuring standout performances, a haunting soundtrack and a bold visual style, this film signals an exciting new voice in cinema.

Pretty Babies

When Amanda (Binoche) walks in on her elderly parents in the throes of what appears to be a consensual sexual encounter her instinct is to call the police, believing her mother Leslie (Calder-Marshall) who is suffering from dementia, incapable of giving consent to husband Martin (Courtenay). As this complex, emotionally devastating and utterly gripping scenario plays out we are asked to question our preconceptions, ideas and treatment of the elderly in this devastating and superbly acted film, winner of a Silver Bear at the Berlinale. This is moral maze filmmaking at its most nuanced and sophisticated.

Queen at Sea

Determined to avenge the murder of his best friend and partner in crime, Pat Tate (Fairbrass) journeys to Ibiza on a roaring rampage of revenge. Up against arms traffickers, the CIA, familiar foes and a seemingly endless parade of tough-talking gangsters, Tate battles to remain last man standing in this stylish action spectacle. Taking the action, pyrotechnics and stunts to new levels, this ambitious entry to the series is an adrenaline-pumping, profane delight, sure to delight fans with its mix of cheerfully brutish action and witty gutter dialogue while bringing new audiences to the franchise.

Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution

Three estranged siblings reunite at a rural retreat in 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.

Sacred Creatures

After experiencing immense family turmoil in the wake of her husband’s death, a woman seeks solace in a quiet seaside town. There, she forms an unexpected bond with a young woman struggling with her own fractured relationship with her violent father. Together, they confront their turbulent pasts with volatile consequences. Beautifully shot, superbly acted and with a palpable tension that fills every frame, this is a superb thriller and nuanced exploration of female solidarity.

Sea of Glass

In an attempt to relieve 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 towards it and what the future might look like with this technology as 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.

Sheep in the Box

Set in 1994 Northern Ireland 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 Walsh’s vivid, lived-in portrait of disenfranchised youth, 90s rave culture and a turbulent period in recent Irish history. Balancing humour, wit and pathos, bolstered by great performances from a terrific cast including Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan, Martin McCann and Michael Smiley and a killer 90s soundtrack featuring Prodigy, Elastica, Chemical Brothers and Carl Cox, this is a propulsive, poignant period piece.

Skintown

Newly unearthed footage from late 19th-century London reveals the complex fate of an all-ladies ghost-hunting society in this transfixing horror feature debut from director Joseph Archer. Exploring a dangerous city of contradictions with a new technology potentially capable of capturing malevolent supernatural forces, the film throws us into a world of cruelty, violence and press sensationalism, threat always hovering just around the next corner and at the peripheries of the pinhole camera lens. An inventive reimagining of the found footage genre, this uniquely strange, scary and distinctive film is guaranteed to provoke, disturb and thrill in equal measure.

Snapshot

Boisterous tearaway Frankie, struggling to come to terms with the inevitability of losing best friend Taylor, impulsively breaks him out of hospice care for one final night of fun and debauchery. But what promises to be a night of hedonism quickly becomes something more complicated. Beautifully observed and performed by a talented young cast, this witty and wise debut from co-directors Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey explores male friendship in extreme circumstances, as well as grief and acceptance in a uniquely fresh and humane film full of vigour, life and optimism despite its heartb-reaking premise.

The State of Us

The Scottish Ballet draws us in this intoxicating retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where cinema meets dance, fever dreams blur with reality and queerness takes a stand. Diving into hallucinations and fragmented memories, we follow Juliet in this journey of self-discovery and defiance towards finding a sense of belonging. Along with them, we dance into the beat of their restless hearts and feel this very familiar story in a new, fresh tempo.

These Violent Delights

A gripping observational documentary exposing secrecy as a psychological weapon wielded by corporate America, as three ordinary people choose to break their non-disclosure agreements. This nail-biting film reveals how pervasive public censorship is manipulating justice in every corner of American society. As the legal, public and emotional stakes rise, an intimate lens on each character asks what happens when the most important truths, and those carrying the weight of them, are silenced?

My NDA

EIFF is delighted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Screen Academy Scotland with a selection of new films emerging from the academy.

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