Eyes on the prize in Edinburgh

Dropped awards return to boost festival profile.

by Jennie Kermode

The Edinburgh International Film Festival is reaching for the stars once again. A year after being droped, three awards have returned to cement its place in the industry calendar. "I feel very strongly that having noteworthy awards is important for an international film festival," said new festival director Chris Fujiwara, adding that they "can stimulate creative dialogue and, above all, help shine the spotlight on emerging talent."

The awards in question include one for Best International Feature and one for Best Performance in a British Feature. The third is the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature, which has historically been important in heralding the appearance of new talent on the world stage. Fujiwara has stressed that documentaries will also be eligible in the Best Feature categories. The winners will be selected by international juries.

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