Edinburgh International Film Festival to Return for 80th Edition in 2027

Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced the dates for the 80th edition of the Festival, which will run from 12 – 18 August 2027.

Supported by Screen Scotland, the milestone edition will honour EIFF's history, while building on the success of its revitalised iteration, launched in 2024 under the leadership of CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa. The successful August 2026 edition saw a programme comprising 60% world premieres play out in four venues across the city, with a 35% increase in admissions on 2025, a sold-out event at Leith Theatre with TRAINSPOTTING featuring live commentary from the production team and a club night DJ'd by Irvine Welsh and Darren Emerson, as well as the inaugural UK Film Conference which included a keynote from BFI CEO Ben Roberts.

In 2027 the Film Festival also joins Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival in celebrating eight decades of creativity and bringing audiences together in the Scottish capital.

As one of the world's longest-running film festivals, EIFF has a proud history of showcasing groundbreaking cinema and championing filmmaking talent. The 80th edition will celebrate this legacy while looking firmly to the future, continuing to develop a distinctive platform for independent cinema, emerging voices and international representation. EIFF will continue to champion bold filmmaking and new talent through its two centrepiece competitions: The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence and The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence, with both prizes decided by audience vote.

Alongside an ambitious programme of new cinema and World Premieres, EIFF will bring filmmakers and industry together to connect and collaborate, as well as working closely with the wider arts Festivals and community in Edinburgh, all contributing to the biggest arts festival in the world.

Paul Ridd, CEO and Festival Director of EIFF has said: 'We are beyond excited to celebrate our fourth edition as the revamped and revitalised Festival in August next year, as well as 80 years of EIFF. This is a major milestone in the story of our historic Festival, and we intend to do this anniversary justice with an exciting range of films, events and unforgettable moments in our beautiful city. World Premieres remain a huge priority for us as do our Competitions, as we bring fresh and exciting films to audiences, industry and press. We are committed to engaging with the next generation of talent as well as established voices, providing a curated and commercial platform for work to be celebrated and found. Over the coming months we will be opening up submissions, and continuing our close dialogue with the film and screen industries, building on the successes of our 2026 edition to continue to make EIFF a place where the future of filmmaking is not simply discussed, but actively shaped. Bring it on.'

Submissions for the 2027 edition will open in January 2027. Further details on the 2027 Festival will be announced in the coming months.

About Edinburgh International Film Festival

Founded in 1947 when it was known as the International Festival of Documentary Films, Edinburgh is the world's oldest continually running film festival. Following the 2023 edition, a new organisation was established under chairman Andrew Macdonald to lead a revitalised EIFF from 2024 onwards. Paul Ridd was appointed incoming CEO & Festival Director in December 2023. More details of the 2027 edition are expected in the next few months.

About Screen Scotland

Screen Scotland drives development of all aspects of Scotland's film and tv industry, through funding and strategic support. Screen Scotland is part of Creative Scotland and delivers these services and support with funding from Scottish Government and The National Lottery. More information is available at screen.scot.