Edinburgh emerges triumphant in 2025, reclaiming its cinematic crown with a bold and emotionally charged edition of the recently re-energised Film Festival. Opening with Eva Victor’s dark comedy Sorry, Baby and closing with Paul Sng’s riveting Irvine Welsh documentary Reality Is Not Enough, the festival showcased world premieres such as In Transit, Bulk, and a retrospective of James Bond films, while awarding Abdolreza Kahani’s Mortician the GBP 50,000 Sean Connery Prize. It was a celebration of local grit, global vision, and creative resurgence.
The 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival unfolded from 14 to 20 August 2025, and it quickly became apparent that this year would mark a significant turning point for Scottish cinema culture. Freshly invigorated by the long-awaited reopening of the Filmhouse, the city’s iconic arthouse venue, the festival carried an air of resilience and revival, blending world-class premieres with a proudly local sense of identity.
Images courtesy of A24
The curtain rose on Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby, a razor-sharp dark comedy that set the tone with humour, boldness, and bite. The choice was a confident one, signalling that this was not to be a safe or muted edition of the festival, but rather one willing to take risks and provoke conversation. That energy carried throughout the week, culminating in a deeply personal finale: the world premiere of Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough. Directed by Paul Sng, the documentary offered an unflinching and intimate portrait of the Trainspotting author, a cultural icon whose life and work remain tightly bound to Edinburgh itself. The closing night felt like both a homecoming and a statement of purpose: the city’s stories still matter, and they belong on the big screen.
Among the most talked-about premieres was Jaclyn Bethany’s In Transit, which debuted on 17 August. Starring Alex Sarrigeorgiou, François Arnaud, and the ever-commanding Jennifer Ehle, the film unfurled a quiet, atmospheric tale of a painter and her muse. Ehle’s performance in particular drew praise for its subtle magnetism, anchoring a narrative of creative obsession and fleeting connection. .
Louder spectacles, however, were not neglected. The notorious Midnight Madness strand returned with aplomb, launching with the world premiere of Bulk, the latest offering from Ben Wheatley. Uncompromising, strange, and gleefully unclassifiable, the film thrilled audiences who relish the midnight slot’s promise of chaos and discovery. Together, In Transit and Bulk represented the festival’s two poles: intimate, meticulous character studies on one end, and anarchic cinematic experiments on the other.
Industry conversation was another cornerstone of the week. The guest list read like a roll call of modern cinematic greats, from legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker and politically committed director Ken Loach, to Scottish stalwarts Kevin and Andrew Macdonald, as well as Nia DaCosta and Andrea Arnold. Their public talks drew packed crowds, offering festivalgoers insight into both the craft and conscience of filmmaking. Such programming reinforced Edinburgh’s role not just as a showcase for films, but as a meeting ground for ideas and mentorship.
The retrospective programme added a layer of nostalgia and heritage, with 4K restorations of James Bond films starring Sean Connery, the festival’s most famous alumnus. The screenings were paired with the NFTS Sean Connery Talent Lab, where emerging filmmakers presented shorts that hinted at the next generation of cinematic voices. In many ways, the retrospective and talent lab acted as bookends, reminding audiences that cinema is both memory and future, with Edinburgh standing at that intersection.
One of the festival’s most significant announcements came with the presentation of its top award, the GBP 50,000 Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. This year it was awarded to Iranian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani for Mortician, a Canada-set drama that impressed jurors with its emotional depth and haunting narrative. The prize not only underscored Edinburgh’s international scope but also reinforced its growing role in championing bold, independent voices beyond the mainstream.
Hovering over all of these events was the symbolic rebirth of the Edinburgh Filmhouse. After a turbulent two-year closure, the venue reopened in June to great relief and joy, and its presence during the festival restored a sense of home for local cinephiles. It was more than a screening space; it was a physical emblem of cultural endurance, proving that the festival is not only about films but about place, community, and continuity.
By the time the final credits rolled, EIFF25 had established itself as a remarkable edition—not simply a festival of screenings, but a celebration of resilience and creative ambition. From its opening comedy to its closing documentary, from the surreal spectacle of Bulk to the meditative intimacy of In Transit, the festival showcased a spectrum of cinematic possibility.
