The 79th Edinburgh Film Festival (EIFF) has unveiled the lineup for its 2026 edition, featuring 38 feature films, including 21 world premieres, while confirming the 10 films competing for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. The festival, which runs from August 13–19 in Scotland’s capital, had previously announced Louis Paxton’s The Incomer as its opening film and Louise Lockwood’s documentary Bel as its closing-night selection. It has also revealed that acclaimed actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh will receive the inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award during this year’s event.
Alongside the film programme, this year’s festival will host on-stage conversations with Kenneth Branagh, Ewan McGregor, Bruce Dern, U.S. producer Christine Vachon, and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, while also introducing a new industry conference aimed at bringing together filmmakers and professionals from across the international film business.
Ten world premieres selected for the Sean Connery Prize competition
The Sean Connery Prize competition remains the centrepiece of this year’s festival, with all ten selected films making their world premieres in Edinburgh.
Among the highest-profile titles is Paul Wright’s Mission, starring George MacKay and Rosy McEwen. The film follows Dylan, an alienated young man who embarks on a dangerous journey of self-discovery after becoming estranged from his sister. Blue Finch is handling international sales, with the feature produced by Linn Waite, Kate Byers, Alex Thiele, Marie-Elena Dych and Lowri Roberts.
Also competing is Simon Ryninks’ Out There, a UFO conspiracy thriller starring Michael Sheen, alongside Lindsay Ryan’s Capsized, a houseboat holiday comedy featuring Rhys Ifans. Another notable competition selection is The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman, a documentary exploring the life and legacy of the influential American cartoonist and editor. The film features contributions from Terry Gilliam, the late Stan Lee, and legendary underground cartoonist Robert Crumb.
Rounding out the competition are First Zone, Pretty Babies, Sacred Creatures, Skintown, Snapshot, and The State of Us, reflecting a diverse lineup of emerging voices and established filmmakers.
Out of competition programme spans Cannes, Sundance and Berlin favourites
Beyond the competition, the festival’s out-of-competition programme brings together a mix of world premieres and acclaimed festival titles.
Among the world premieres are Carlos Conceição’s body horror noir Bodyhackers, Marc Turtletaub’s Borges and Me—an adaptation of Jay Parini’s memoir about celebrated Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges—and Empty Heaven, the latest thriller from Iranian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani, whose Mortician won last year’s Sean Connery Prize.
Several high-profile films arrive in Edinburgh following earlier festival premieres. These include Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Sheep in the Box from Cannes, Molly Manners’ Extra Geography and Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex from Sundance, and Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea from Berlin. Hammer’s film will screen alongside the world premiere of Amaretti, the directorial debut short film from actor Stacy Martin.
Kenneth Branagh to receive inaugural cinema honour
One of the festival’s biggest announcements is the presentation of the inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award to Kenneth Branagh. The Oscar-winning actor, director and writer will also take part in an extended public conversation reflecting on his career across film, television and theatre. Branagh’s recognition will be accompanied by a 30th anniversary screening of his acclaimed adaptation of Hamlet, further celebrating his contribution to world cinema.
Trainspotting anniversary leads retrospective programme
The festival’s Special Retrospective Screenings programme will be headlined by a 30th anniversary screening of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. The event will feature live commentary from members of the film’s cast and crew before concluding with a club night hosted by Irvine Welsh, author of the original novel, alongside Darren Emerson of Underworld, whose iconic track Born Slippy .NUXX became synonymous with the film.
The retrospective programme will also include screenings of Little Miss Sunshine, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast, Hal Ashby’s Coming Home, and a complete presentation of Martin Scorsese’s A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies with a special introduction from producer Bob Last.
Midnight Madness and industry programme expand the Edinburgh Film Festival
The festival’s Midnight Madness strand will showcase the world premiere of Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution, alongside UK premieres of Daniel Goldhaber’s Faces of Death and Caleb Phillips’ Imposters. The section also includes Hungry and Bad Day at the Office, further expanding the late-night genre programme.
Industry activity will be centred around the inaugural UK Film Conference, taking place on August 15. The one-day event will bring together filmmakers, producers, distributors, exhibitors and industry professionals, opening with a conversation between BFI CEO Ben Roberts and Picturehouse Creative Director Clare Binns on the future of independent filmmaking in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the festival’s public In Conversation series will feature appearances from Bruce Dern, Ewan McGregor, Christine Vachon, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, and Kenneth Branagh.
Speaking about this year’s programme, EIFF CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd said:
“Heading into the third edition of our revamped, reimagined and reinvigorated Edinburgh International Film Festival feels like hitting a stride we have been working towards since the start of 2024.
“With stellar Competitions, fantastically varied and essential new films from Scotland, from the wider UK and from the rest of the world, and more World Premieres than we have ever screened before, this year’s line-up offers a panoramic vision of cinema at its most exciting, dynamic and full of potential. Edinburgh is quite simply the only place to be in August. Bring it on.”
Beyond the headline competition titles, the festival’s programme also features a broad selection of out-of-competition films, including Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon, Goodbye Cruel World, Mi Amor, My NDA, Northbound, Sea of Glass, The Best Summer, The Education of Jane Cumming, The Last Resort, The Peril at Pincer Point, and The Arrow at Rest at Every Instant of Its Flight. Together with 38 feature films, 21 world premieres, anniversary retrospectives, filmmaker conversations and industry initiatives, the 79th Edinburgh International Film Festival presents one of its most expansive programmes since the festival’s relaunch, offering a wide-ranging showcase of independent and international cinema from August 13 to 19.
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