Each August, thousands of movie lovers gather in the Scottish capital for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Edinburgh is the world's longest continually running film festival and, since 1947, movie buffs from throughout Britain have made the trek to Edinburgh to enjoy a mouthwatering array of films and brush shoulders with the stars.
Although the Festival prides itself on screening some of the best in arthouse and world cinema, it has always kept one eye firmly on popular culture and the medium's capacity for sheer entertainment - witness the 1980's premiere of Spielberg's ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, a retrospective dedicated to pulp Hollywood director John Landis and, in 1990, the screening of the zero-budget, bizarre Bad Taste, shot and edited on four years' worth of weekends by the unknown New Zealand director Peter Jackson.
In 1996 when Sean Connery was in town for the premiere of Dragonheart, the streets were lined with Scots waiting to get a peek at the beloved celebrity. In Christine Harris-Smyth's words, "To the rest of the world Sean Connery is a movie star, to Edinburgh he is GOD." Before Connery even began his speech, he received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes, as well as one that followed his speech.
The History of the Edinburgh International Film Festival
Besides Sean Connery's regular appearances, other celebrities attend the festival in droves - without the fanfare required for a native, however. Celebrities not known as well in the UK delight in wandering the streets without the standard entourage, so you may come across them while relaxing in your favorite café.
Gossip runs rampant at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Perhaps it is the time of year or just the insatiable curiousity of the crowds, but everyone seems to know someone who can report on a celebrity's personality. And the favourite top of tittle-tattle seems to be the Yanks. Whether it's because of their distance or truth, at least they aren't likely to be standing behind you while you talk about them!
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is held at several venues around the city. The Filmhouse is the largest of the facilities where many of the main events take place. The Cameo is another venue, and as it is licensed you are allowed to take drinks into the screenings with you. Other venues include the UGC Cinema, Dominion, and the Traverse Theatre.
Tickets to events should be purchased in advance if possible. If you do decide to wait until the last moment, you may discover that you will not be able to get into any of the screenings.
In the beginning, Edinburgh was a festival solely focused on documentaries, but with time, it has broadened its horizons. In the 1960s it introduced the popular Retrospective section. By constantly changing its offerings and paying tribute to great moviemakers such as Huston, Fuller, Sirk and Scorsese, the festival became, in John Huston words, "the only film festival that's worth a damn!"
In the 70s and 80s, the Festival consolidated its reputation as a pioneering force for UK audiences, screening films from the New German Cinema, the new wave of American Independents, homages to the masters of Japanese Cinema, pioneering studies of black and feminist filmmakers. Festival audiences were able to witness masterpieces from across the whole spectrum of film culture - from ET to Abel Gance's silent classic Napoleon - complete with a full orchestral score. New talents were nurtured - Bill Forsyth, Steven Soderbergh - and gems like My Beautiful Launderette discovered.
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Mark Cousins became the Artistic Director for the Festival in the early 1990s while Ginnie Atkinson was appointed as Managing Director. The duo revamped the Festival in 1995 and the public seemed to be excited by the changes. Edinburgh renewed its commitment to British cinema, as well as the actors, directors, and professionals involved in the industry. In order to show their commitment, the festival opened a unique showcase, New British Expo (NBX), presenting British films. This event occurs simultaneously with the Festival.
The 50th anniversary of the Festival in 1996 was a momentous occaision for Edinburgh. A retrospective of 1947 was held and several famous films from the year were screened including It's A Wonderful Life, Gilda, Black Narcissus and Carol Reed's Odd Man Out.
The new millennium began with screenings of such films as Billy Elliot,
The Low Down and Amores Perros - all films that achieved great success at the box office. In 2001 the
Festival opened with Amelie, probably the most popular movie previewed at the festival in a a decade. Additionally, renowned US independent filmmaker Sean Penn came to Edinburgh with his film The Pledge. And, in 2002, a new era of the Festival began with a new Artistic Director who debuted a new plan to preview numerous movies throughout the region, including rival city Glasgow.
In the beginning, Edinburgh was a festival solely focused on documentaries, but with time, it has broadened its horizons. In the 1960s it introduced the popular Retrospective section. By constantly changing its offerings and paying tribute to great moviemakers such as Huston, Fuller, Sirk and Scorsese, the festival became, in John Huston words, "the only film festival that's worth a damn!" 
