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Schemers
Photo: Courtesy of EIFF
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The 73rd edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced it reached 70,000 festival-goers this year, including 15,000 who attended its weekend of outdoor screenings.
More than 500 filmmakers were in attendance, alongside 800 press and industry delegates and 270 youth delegates.
Artistic director Mark Adams said: “It has been another great year with a massive feel-good factor from all of our different audiences. From media and general public through to guests and our own staff there has been a real sense of enthusiasm and passion for the festival and our cultural delivery. From the acclaimed Spanish retrospective through to well-received new films there is a real sense that EIFF is building on the stellar reputation we have around the world. We are already looking forward to 2020.”
CEO Ken Hay added: “EIFF is unashamedly international and outward-looking in its programming and its reach, with 58 countries (and 60 languages) represented through the programme, our filmmaker and industry guests, and our truly multi-national team delivering the event. We’re delighted that audiences and guests have responded so positively to the programme and the broader festival experience.”
The main winners have already been announced, and this year's Audience Award went to David McLean's Schemers - which charts his own beginnings as a music producer in Dundee.
The winner of this year’s EIFF Works in Progress was Women Behind the Wheel: Unheard Voices on the Pamir Highway by Hannah Congdon and Catherine Haigh, and the EIFF Youth New Visions short film competition in the 14-18 age category was won this year by The Processing Room by Cameron Lambert and Red Hill, made by Laura Carreira, in the 19-25 age group. The McLaren Award for Best New British Animation went to Fokion Xenos’ Heatwave.
