Edinburgh is a city known for its festivals. From the Military Tattoo to the iconic Fringe, the cultured city certainly knows how to hold a large-scale celebration of the arts.
One of the first in Edinburgh’s festival season is the International Film Festival, which has been running since 20 June.
The festival comes to a close this weekend, with the European premiere of the latest Disney Pixar film Brave – a fairytale adventure set in Scotland.
It may not have the same global appeal as the likes of Cannes or Sundance, but the Edinburgh Film Festival is the oldest continually running film festival in the world.
Established in 1947, the festival has held screenings of some iconic films from around the world over the years.
This year has been no different, with documentaries, shorts and feature films all wowing audiences at the festival.
International films obviously always feature heavily at the event. This year, 7 Days in Havana, a Spanish-language film by Benicio Del Toro, has been making waves.
The film that opened the festival was Killer Joe, an alternative thriller with a slice of dark comedy. Starring Mathew McConaughey, Killer Joe is released in cinemas later this week.
But it’s not just live-action films that have caught the attention at the festival this year. Animated children’s adventure Dr Seuss’ The Lorax impressed audiences when it was screened at the weekend.
Of course, the big animated film this year will be Brave, which is closing the festival on Sunday. Starring a host of Scottish acting legends, the film from everybody’s favourite computer animation studio is already going down a storm in the US.
VisitScotland, the tourist board for Scotland, has said it is planning to launch a multi-million pound advertising campaign off the back of the film.
The Edinburgh Film Festival might be drawing to a close, but there’s still time to see some beautiful films from around the world.
Flights to Edinburgh from London take as little 40 minutes making it a great weekend break destination for those who are short on time.
(Images: Oliver-Bonjoch, EIFF)
