Introduction to the film festival
A revitalised Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) will run from 14 to 20 August 2025.
Spanning 7 days, the relaunched EIFF will honour 70+ years of festival history, showcasing the very best talent in filmmaking in a re-energised format that is rooted in a local Scottish context whilst embracing the international diversity of creative expression.
EIFF is poised to accelerate the discovery of new talent through the inauguration of two major competitions, The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence and the Best Short Film (title TBC), with significant prize-money awarded to the filmmakers.
The EIFF’s August fixture now runs in parallel to a host of creative festivals taking place in Edinburgh, including Edinburgh International Festival and the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which sells millions of tickets to cultural connoisseurs from around the world. The EIFF will encourage general audiences, film buffs and industry professionals to make the trip this summer to Edinburgh, which is universally recognised as a place of beauty, history, discovery and adventure.
Helmed by Festival Director Paul Ridd and newly appointed Festival Producer Emma Boa, the team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent. Former Acquisitions Executive Ridd is supported by an expanding Board, including Chair, Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; and Amy Jackson, producer of last year’s BAFTA award- winning indie, Aftersun. EIFF 2024 is supported by Screen Scotland.
EIFF Director, Paul Ridd, says, “Our new look EIFF falls in a festival month where culture is alive and vibrant in the city, and we also arrive at a point of tremendous industry growth for Scotland with a production boom of streamers, studios and independents working side by side. We are so excited to present what we have in the works and we invite creators, industry leaders and independent film fans who want to be a part of the reimagining of a world-class festival to get in touch with the team, bookmark the EIFF website, and start planning travel to Edinburgh in August. Bring it on!”
Awards
THE SEAN CONNERY PRIZE FOR FEATURE FILMMAKING EXCELLENCE:
The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence will create a powerful platform to showcase today’s most talented and original filmmakers by linking their success to the legacy of Scotland’s most famous global star.
The award, which carries a cash prize of £50,000, is open to features of any genre that will have their World Premiere at EIFF in August 2024. The award will be voted for by cinema-goers attending public screenings during EIFF.
Eligible films are selected at the discretion of the Festival Director.
SHORT FILM COMPETITION (Title TBC):
The Short Film Competition (title TBC), will celebrate excellence in short filmmaking.
The award, which carries a cash prize of £15,000, is open to short films of any genre that will have their World Premiere at EIFF in August 2025. EIFF classifies a short film as 30 minutes or under. The award will be voted for by cinema-goers attending public screenings during EIFF.
Eligible films are selected at the discretion of the Festival Director.
Rules
- All submitted films should be no more than 12 months old by August 2025 and meet the selection criteria as described below.
- EIFF regards a short film as 30 minutes or under and a feature film as anything over 30 minutes.
- UK Premiere status is required for all feature and short submissions. EIFF is particularly interested in World, International or European premieres, and first or second features.
- Films may have previously been publicly screened anywhere outside of the United Kingdom. However, we are unable to accept films that have previously been broadcast or otherwise made publicly available (including online) within the UK.
- Films that are available to purchase are not eligible. This includes DVD/Blu-ray/online digital download formats.
- Promotional films are not eligible (e.g. films promoting tourism, charitable appeals, etc.).
PLEASE NOTE – your fee is non-refundable. If your film does not match the criteria listed above and you still submit your film, we will not consider your film and will not refund your fee.
The final selection of all films presented at the Festival and their placement in the EIFF programme is at the discretion of the Festival Director.
| Jury Name | Judge photos | Jury Profile |
|---|
Authorization type
Duration (several sessions)
Film Festival Features
Dates & Deadlines
2025-01-06
Submission start time
2025-02-05
Early Bird Deadline
2025-03-12
Regular Deadline
2025-04-16
Late Deadline
2025-04-16
Submission end time
2025-06-30
Finalist notification start time
2025-06-30
Finalist notification end time
2025-08-14
Award ceremony start time
2025-08-20
Award ceremony end time
Categories and fees
2025/02/05
Early Bird Deadline
Standard: 40 Dollar
Student： 40 Dollar
2025/03/12
Regular Deadline
Standard: 45 Dollar
Student： 45 Dollar
2025/04/16
Late Deadline
Standard: 55 Dollar
Student： 55 Dollar
2025/02/05
Early Bird Deadline
Standard: 65 Dollar
Student： 65 Dollar
2025/03/12
Regular Deadline
Standard: 80 Dollar
Student： 80 Dollar
2025/04/16
Final Deadline
Standard: 110 Dollar
Student： 110 Dollar
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