Latest news with #EIFF
Scotsman
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
‘Feel good' documentary on Scottish Highlands porridge competition gets Edinburgh Film Festival premiere
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A documentary on the World Porridge Making Championships in Carrbridge is set to be released during the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). UK film distributor Dogwoof announced the UK release date for filmmaker Constantine Costi's new documentary The Golden Spurtle as September 12, after its premiere at the EIFF on August 17. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The annual competition has been taking place in the village of Carrbridge for 30 years. Contenders from around the globe descend to compete for the coveted title of world porridge champion. In the documentary, viewers will witness intense rivalries, steaming bowls of porridge, and the lives of charmingly eccentric locals, alongside a living legacy and the search for succession of the 'chieftain of the Golden Spurtle'. The Golden Spurtle documentary will be released in UK cinemas in September. | contributed Charlie Miller, self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle, showcases an acerbic wit, charisma and no-nonsense approach to all things porridge . A maker of spurtles - traditional wooden porridge stirring utensils - Mr Miller is described as an artist at heart. Since taking ill, he is looking for a successor to take over as chieftain. But with no one in sight, Mr Miller is left to shoulder the burden of the championship's uncertain future. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The documentary is said to boast striking cinematography illuminating both the film's memorable characters and the beautiful scenery of the Highlands , inspired by the work of photographers such as August Sander and Martin Parr. The film introduces viewers to an array of competitors from around the world - from Suffolk-based Queen of Porridge Lisa to seven-time finalist and London-based health food chief executive Nick, as well as young Australian chef Toby. The Golden Spurtle is billed as a celebration of community and the future of vibrant, close-knit societies. The film is directed by Constantine Cosi (A Delicate Fire) with cinematography by Dimitri Zaunders. The film is produced by Rebecca Lamond (Friends and Strangers) and co-produced by John Archer (My Old School, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock).
Scotsman
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
World premiere of Renée Zellweger film is massive for Edinburgh
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is a truth universally acknowledged that Renée Zellweger brought the 1990s fictional heroine Bridget Jones, previously confined to the printed page, to life in truly spectacular style in the film series. Along with stellar performances in films like Cold Mountain and Jerry Maguire, it made her one of Hollywood's biggest stars. So the news that her directorial debut, an animated short film called They, will have its world premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival in August is 'a really big coup', as the EIFF's director Paul Ridd rightly said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The world premier of Renée Zellweger's directorial debut will be held in Edinburgh (Picture: Dia Dipasupil) | Getty Images What's more, it was Zellweger's representatives who got in touch with the festival, rather than the other way around. Given it wasn't that long ago that it seemed the annual event had collapsed, this represents a real turnaround in its fortunes.
Edinburgh Reporter
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Films to be shown in several venues at this year's EIFF
This year at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) audiences will be invited back to the Filmhouse which has recently reopened and a new pop up venue at the Hawthornden Theatre in National Galleries of Scotland on the Mound as well as the Cameo and Vue Omni. The venue for industry and press will be at Tollcross Central Hall where several In Conversation events will also take place. EIFF will run from 14-20 August 2025. CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa are in charge of the Festival which continues to discover new film talent and engage with audiences, industry members and local, national and international media. Paul Ridd, CEO and Festival Director of EIFF, said: 'We are thrilled to be working with the reopened Filmhouse as well as Vue Cinema this year. These are exciting firsts for us as the completely new, revamped and relaunched iteration of the Festival going into our second year, but they carry with them the legacy of EIFF's history in the city and deep connection with these vital venues. We are also delighted to return to The Cameo Cinema and to transform Tollcross Central Hall into a buzzy Festival Hub and a beautiful space at the National Galleries Scotland: National into a state of the art pop-up screening venue. We cannot wait to pack these big, beautiful spaces with our rich programme of film screenings, events and talks across the seven days of our Festival. Bring it on again!' Directed by Paul Ridd and the Festival Producer, Emma Boa, the EIFF team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent. Ridd is supported by the EIFF Board, led by Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; and Vice Chair Amy Jackson, producer of BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun; as well as Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox, Teresa Moneo, Former Director of UK Film, Netflix, Isla Macgillivray, Partner at Saffrey and Romana Ramzan, Producer at No Code Studio. Programme The full programme will be launched at 4pm on 2 July. PHOTO Kat Gollock Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Film Festival: Renee Zellweger directorial debut to have world premiere as full line-up revealed
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... She is best known for her portrayal of 1990s heroine Bridget Jones, where she fought off the attentions of Hugh Grant and Colin Firth in her quest to find a husband. But now, Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger is to hold the world premiere of her directorial debut film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) - with an animated short film. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Paul Ridd, director of the EIFF, revealed the world premiere of the Bridget Jones star's first film, They, as the full line-up of this year's festival is announced. Filmmaker Ben Wheatley is also to appear at the festival, where the premiere of his latest film Bulk will be shown. He will also take part in one of a series of industry talks to take place at the Tollcross Central Hall. Alongside nine other short animations, Ms Zellweger's film, They, will be shown in four separate screenings at Filmhouse, Cameo and Vue. How Renee Zellweger's film was secured Mr Ridd told The Scotsman the festival had been contacted directly by Ms Zellweger's representatives over the potential inclusion of her film in the festival programme. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said: 'The animation is very playful, it's beautiful to look at. It's such a surprising thing, because we were approached by Renee Zellweger's reps with this film. We saw it and we were blown away by it. 'It's nice to see somebody who's so obviously known as a major Hollywood star branching out of doing something of her own and directing at the first time, it's a really big coup for us.' US actress Renee Zellweger is to premiere her directorial debut film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. | AFP via Getty Images The film, which will be shown on August 16, 19 and 20, deals with environmental issues. The film's programme entry states: 'As the world reaches peak negativity, our hero's plot for peace backfires with drastic consequences.' Mr Ridd added: 'It's very playful and emotional and there's something about the story that is what she wanted to express. It's a really exciting, left-field turn for her career.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This year's festival has 43 feature films - slightly up on last year's figure of 37. 'It's a bit of an increase,' said Mr Ridd. 'But what we've set out from day one is the idea of keeping it intact, so that in the programme, every film has its place; every film has its audience. And in effect, if you were going to spend six, seven days with us across the festival, in theory, you could pretty much cover the whole programme.' A film on competitive porridge making in the Scottish Highlands, Golden Spurtle, which Mr Ridd described as a 'real audience pleaser', will be shown as part of the festival's documentary series, as will Gar O'Rourke's Sanotorium, which looks at the situation in Ukraine. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Diversifying the festival The EIFF was relaunched last year under new management, following the collapse in 2022 of arts charity the Centre for the Moving Image. However, Mr Ridd said the festival wants to diversify funding sources to create a strong mixture of public funding and corporate sponsorship, but admitted the landscape was 'challenging'. It was one of the recipients of a multi-year funding grant from Creative Scotland at the beginning of the year, and also recently received money from the Scottish Government's Expo fund. However, more is needed. 'I feel like we offer something up to the world that is unique in terms of the kind of the kind of philanthropic aspect of it,' he said. 'The fact that we are so invested in the future of Scottish filmmakers, the Scottish film industry, the UK film industry and the international industry - I think that's very appealing, but it will take time. We're a new organisation, entirely separate from the festival as it previously existed. It's an ongoing process.' The locations for this year's EIFF Earlier this week, the festival announced the venues where the festival will take place, including the newly-reopened Filmhouse and the Cameo cinema, as well as a theatre in the National Gallery of Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'What we established last year was what our footprint looked like, what the profile of the films was, and what this kind of shape of the programme would be,' said Mr Ridd. 'Now, having built on that over the last year, we're offering something which is an even bigger scale than last year. Add to that being able to play films in the Cameo and also the reopened Filmhouse and our pop up at the National Galleries of Scotland and what we're really opening up is as many access points as possible for people to engage with our cinema.' For the second year, the festival is selling tickets through the Fringe app, while it is also screening films at Monkey Barrel Comedy - a Fringe venue. 'It's a great opportune moment to lean into all the other arts festivals and Fringe happenings that are going on,' said Mr Ridd. 'There's so much talent and so many audiences in the city at that time who are kind of very keen to engage with this kind of work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'People who are engaging with the film festival specifically will be able to very easily see as much as possible. But there's also strong points of entry for people who are engaging with Fringe shows.' The Sean Connery film prize The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence returns this year to present a programme of contemporary international film and new filmmakers. The competition comprises ten feature-length world premieres, with the winning filmmaker awarded £50,000 to support their future projects. Decided by an audience vote, the winner will be announced at the end of the festival. The undisputed standard-bearer for Scottish actors on the global stage! His definitive portrayal of James Bond across seven films set the benchmark for the character and defined the suave secret agent for generations. Beyond Bond, his rugged charisma and distinct Scottish accent made him a beloved leading man in diverse films like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Untouchables (for which he won an Oscar), ensuring his timeless fame and enduring cultural presence for over half a century. | Evening Standard/Isabel Davis, executive director at Screen Scotland said: 'Paul and the team have surpassed themselves with this year's exceptional, must-attend programme. As the major backers of EIFF, we're overjoyed that the Filmhouse is back in action as a key part of the festival's new footprint, alongside other great spaces. 'And we are excited by the expanding industry role, providing a springboard for acquisitions, a place for relationships to be forged between Scottish, UK and international filmmakers and professionals, and for emerging talent to encounter the world's greatest films and filmmakers. Tollcross Central Hall as an industry hub is a gift of a space and set to become the focal point for incredible conversations and encounters across the festival.'
The Herald Scotland
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
The Connery connections reviving Edinburgh's film festival
When the event returns next month, his presence will be felt across the festival thanks to his family's determination to honour his devotion to both the event and the city of his birth. Read more: They launched the Sean Connery Foundation, a new charity to support projects and initiatives in Scotland and the Bahamas, where he lived latterly, in 2022, two years after the screen star passed away at the age of 1990. The EIFF almost vanished from the industry calendar two years ago when the Centre for the Moving Image, the arts charity which ran both the event and the Filmhouse cinema, its main base in August, went into administration. Goldfinger will be among the classic James Bond films given a rare cinema screening at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. (Image: Agency) The event returned in reduced from in 2023 as part of the Edinburgh International Festival programme, before it was revived in a new organisation led by chairman Andrew Macdonald, one of Scotland's leading film producers, and Paul Ridd, the who led a full-scale reboot of the event last summer. Efforts to put the festival firmly back on the radar of filmmakers received a huge boost when it was announced that the Connery Foundation would be backing the EIFF's new feature film prize. Won by self-taught British filmmaker Jack King last year with his 'microbudget' debut feature The Ceremony, the Connery prize attracted more than 4500 submissions to the festival this year – almost double the number for the 2024 edition. The Connery family is also key to a major showcase of new Scottish filmmaking talent at the festival. The festival will showcase the first six projects to emerge from a new Sean Connery Talent Lab initiative, which the foundation launched last year with the National Film and Television School. Their short films focus on a young boy beginning to unearth a secret family trauma, an amateur basketball player under mounting pressure, a young woman who stands up to her employer at a grand ceilidh, the impact of addiction, a doctor forced to choose between medical protocol and her humanity, and a supermarket bargain hunt which turns deadly. Sir Sean's family will also be introducing the six classic James Bond films that the actor starred in between 1962 and 1971. The screenings, which will run at 11am at the Filmhouse during the festival, are a rare opportunity to see the actor's iconic performances on the big screen.
