Mumbai: The UK Film Council announced a £1.88 million Lottery funding for the Edinburgh International Film Festival over the next three years.
It’s the single biggest investment by the UK Film Council in a film festival to date and will help Edinburgh achieve its ambition of becoming the world’s leading festival of discovery, showcasing new films and talent.
The UK is currently the third largest market in the world for filmed entertainment and the UK Film Council believes that with extra support our festivals can reach out to a wider audience and increase their standing on the world stage.
Today’s announcement is part of an overall package of funding that will see the UK Film Council make £4.5 million of National Lottery money available over three years to help fund UK film festivals of international and national significance. Announcements on the remaining funding will be made over the coming months.
Edinburgh already has a great track record in identifying, showcasing and promoting talent but this investment boost will enable the festival to bring about some radical new changes and work towards its goal of becoming the ‘must attend’ festival of discovery. The festival also wants to play a leading role in the debate on the development of film in the digital age.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is the longest continually running film festival in the world. It started in 1947 as a documentary-based festival in the wake of World War II and has expanded over the last 60 years.
This year, it will move from its traditional August slot and run from 18- 29 June as part of its strategy to grow its global creative reputation and widen its audience appeal.
UK Film Council CEO John Woodward said, "The UK Film Council is absolutely delighted to be supporting Edinburgh, our longest-running film festival, to help it massively expand its activities and profile on the world stage. Edinburgh’s ambition is a great one – to make their film festival the world’s leading festival of discovery. This £1.88 million injection of Lottery cash over the next three years will put them well on the way to achieving it. This funding will ultimately benefit all members of the UK film community from production through to distribution."
Edinburgh International Film Festival managing director Ginnie Atkinson said, "This Lottery funding is a huge endorsement of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and its potential for growth. It is an investment in the future of film both for audiences and for the film industry, centered in the UK. The funding is attached to specific activities planned to make EIFF even more effective as a meeting place in the broadest sense of the word; a place where culture, ideas and business can be progressed – and in the unique setting of one of the world’s most amazing cities."
