SKINTOWN Wins Sean Connery Prize at Edinburgh International Film Festival
Jason Connery presented the awards on behalf of The Connery Foundation at Cameo Cinema.
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has announced the winners of its prize for feature filmmaking and its prize for short filmmaking. The winner of this year's Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is Kieron J. Walsh's SKINTOWN, while the winner of the Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Competition is Sinda Agha's GRIEF ROOM.
The awards were presented at a special ceremony at Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh by Jason Connery on behalf of The Connery Foundation.
The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is decided on by an audience vote and funded by The Connery Foundation. Ten feature-length World Premieres were presented at EIFF as part of the competition, with the winning filmmaker being awarded £50,000 to support their future projects.
SKINTOWN sees best friends Vinny and Jonty party, cut deals and plan to escape small town life in Northern Ireland during the 1994 ceasefire in this humorous, poignant and terrifically acted period piece with a killer 90s soundtrack.
The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Competition is also decided on by an audience vote and funded by The Connery Foundation. The World Premieres of ten short films were presented at EIFF as part of the competition, with the winning filmmaker being awarded £15,000 to support their future projects.
In GRIEF ROOM, Emily Beecham, Daisy Bevan and Louisa Harland are on peak form in this film about estranged sisters who reunite at their mother's deathbed.
Other Feature Film Competition Entries
CAPSIZED (Dir. Lindsey Ryan) — A houseboat holiday is thrown into disarray and a family must face chaos and an uncertain future in this witty, warm and poignant comedy debut from director Lindsey Ryan, featuring Rhys Ifans and Lily Rabe.
FIRST ZONE (Dir. Thom Lunshof) — Torn from her home by a violent storm, a woman embarks on a singular odyssey across a flooded and desolate post-apocalyptic landscape in this haunting and entirely gripping thriller and debut feature from director Thom Lunshof.
THE MAD WORLD OF HARVEY KURTZMAN (Dir. Bart Simpson) — A vivid, immersive and visually striking portrait of a key contributor to the satirical Mad magazine and the publication's far-reaching influence on culture. Rich in history, art, politics and 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.
MISSION (Dir. Paul Wright) — A disillusioned young man embarks on a week of carnage in Paul Wright's immersive and gripping psychological portrait of existential angst and directionless fury, featuring a vivid visual language and a standout performance from George MacKay.
OUT THERE (Dir. Simon Ryninks) — In this hilarious 1999-set debut from director Simon Ryninks and featuring Michael Sheen, a teenaged astronomer enlists a gang of misfits to help uncover the truth about a UFO hovering over her sleepy Welsh hometown.
PRETTY BABIES (Dir. Tyler-Marie Evans) — Drawn by the seductive promise of Hollywood, two young girls embark on a road trip that takes them into increasingly dark territory in Tyler Marie-Evans' debut feature, an edgy, stylish and jagged portrait of naivety, vulnerability and lost innocence.
SACRED CREATURES (Dir. Frieda Luk) — Three estranged siblings reunite at a rural retreat in Italy after the middle sister's release from psychiatric treatment in this unpredictable, black-humoured and beautifully shot thriller exploring idolatry, mysticism and non-conformity.
SNAPSHOT (Dir. Joseph Archer) — Newly surfaced pinhole camera footage reveals the disturbing fate of an all-ladies ghost-hunting society in late 19th century London in this provocative and unnerving film from director Joseph Archer.
THE STATE OF US (Dir. Ollie Gardner, Jake Harvey) — Boisterous tearaway Frankie (Bottomley) breaks his best friend Taylor (Howells) out of hospice care for one final night of fun in this uplifting and deeply humane tragicomedy from debut co-directors Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey.
Other Short Film Competition Entries
A WOMAN OF GOOD ABILITIES (Dir. Mark Chapman) — During a nightshift, Rachel, played brilliantly by Vinette Robinson, is suspected of stealing from a delivery driver which throws her life out of balance.
BRUVVAS (Dir. Katie McGuinness) — A heartbreaking film about an eventful morning shared between friends, featuring a glorious and moving performance from Ben Whishaw.
FINDING HOME AT THE PIANODROME (Dir. Devon Peterson) — Documentarian Devon Peterson follows craftspeople in Edinburgh who fix up and rehouse donated pianos, a bright celebration of recycling and renewal.
KIND (Dir. Jenny Carson) — A hilariously dark comedy satirising virtue-signalling and moral posturing in which a man is passed over for promotion by a colleague.
LIFT ME UP (Dir. Tomisin Adepeju) — A magical realist and spiritual exploration of change and grief in contemporary Britain featuring stunning black and white cinematography.
SMALL ONE (Dir. Anne-Sofie Lindgaard) — Featuring potent performances from Honor Swinton Byrne, Charlotte Spencer and Herbert Nordrum, the relationship between two sisters becomes fractured when one of them reveals she is pregnant.
SABA (Dir. Shahin Gorgani) — A mesmerising Iranian film about a young child caught between their estranged parents as they attempt to escape through an alternative persona at night.
SURPLACE (Dir. Rytis Dringelis, Simona Jurkuvėnaitė) — A scintillating Lithuanian drama set on a prom night as Inga discovers a secret about her boyfriend, throwing their future into uncertainty.
THE WINKLE'S PHILOSOPHY / LA PHILOSOPHIE DE LA BERNIQUE (Dir. Zoé Chadeau) — Lola Créton stars in this delicate film about a woman returning to the home of her late grandmother to assist her father.
EIFF CEO and Festival Director, Paul Ridd, said: 'The standard of films and filmmakers competing this year at EIFF has been exceedingly high. We are so proud of being able to launch this terrific work into the world, and we wish all our filmmakers the very best as they continue their journeys with their films and with their careers. It has been a pleasure to spend some time with these talented people this past week. GRIEF ROOM is a contained gem of wit, warmth and sadness, and SKINTOWN is a beautiful, funny and very moving film. We are delighted to see that audiences have responded so enthusiastically to both films. Cinema is alive and well in the hands of these immense talents.'
This year's EIFF ran from 13 – 19 August 2026 and opened with the International Premiere of Edinburgh-born filmmaker Louis Paxton's debut feature THE INCOMER and closed with Louise Lockwood's powerful debut documentary feature BEL.
EIFF's leadership team, CEO & Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, continues to accelerate the discovery of new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media.
EIFF 2026 is supported by Screen Scotland and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, the Industry Programme is backed by EXPO funding from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland, and VisitScotland.
The Festival is supported by a Board chaired by Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the Edinburgh-based film TRAINSPOTTING, including Vice Chair Amy Jackson, producer of BAFTA award-winning indie AFTERSUN; Peter Rice, former chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; Teresa Moneo, producer and former Director of UK Film, Netflix; Isla Macgillivray, Partner at Saffery; and video game producer Romana Ramzan.
Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from Thursday 13 to Wednesday 19 August 2026.
