Now that my contract with them is over, I can tell you that I was working as an editor for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It was an intense but really cool experience! Not only are the people who work there awesome, but it was my first experience as an editor. I made a few mistakes, but I think overall it was a good experience.
The festival will be launching next week, on the 21st June, and I will definitely be attending. For those in and around Edinburgh, and for those visiting, I’m putting together a list of my top 10 picks for EIFF. My job entailed putting together information about the films and editing all the film blurbs, so I can tell you I know the programme by heart now!
Top 10 films to see at this year’s EIFF
Edie
This one is my top pick. It’s a film based in Scotland – so it has already won my heart. It’s about an elderly woman who decides, when her husband dies, that she wants to go an hike up a munro. I can already tell it will have amazing scenery!
That Good Night
I believe this was one of John Hurt’s last films. Set in Portugal, he plays an elderly man who is ill and seems to be preparing his own death, but not before trying to make amends with his estranged son.
This Beautiful Fantastic
This one seems like a bit of a quirky British romance about a girl who joins up with her neighbour to tidy up her garden. It stars three awesome actors, including Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey) and Andrew Scott (who played Moriarty in Sherlock).
Freak Show
This is an LGBT coming-of-age story based in the USA. A boy who gets bullied badly for being different actually stands up and decides to run for homecoming queen. It looks like a badass story about being unique and accepting differences.
Menashe
This film really intrigues me. It’s based on the real life of the Jewish Orthodox man Menashe, as he tries to fight against the community expectations that a child can’t be raised in a home without a mother. It seems like a wonderful story about family and confronting religious, sexist expectations.
Song to Song
This film is one of the big shiny films at the festival this year – it stars Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman and Rooney Mara. Director Terrence Malick seems to bring a hypnotic story alive, as he always does, set in the music scene in Austin, Texas.
I Dream in Another Language
I’m really excited about this Mexican film. It follows a researcher as he heads to a remote village to study a nearly instinct language (which is invented for the purpose of this film) but finds that two of the remaining native speakers don’t talk to each other anymore. It looks beautiful, nostalgic, tragic and funny all at once.
In this Corner of the World
Apparently this animated film has already been acclaimed as the best Japanese film of the year. It tackles the hard subject of WWII and the before, during and after effects of the atomic bomb.
Last Men in Aleppo
Another tough topic, but so important and so timely. This documentary follows the group of White Helmets during the siege of Aleppo as they try to rescue other humans (let’s always refer to each other like that and it’ll help break down barriers). I think it will be a hard, but must watch.
Lizzie Borden presents: Born in Flames
This year’s EIFF has an extended retrospective programme. Lots of the films sound really cool – and controversial as they are meant to be a bit of a protest of Brexit – but the one that caught my eye is this feminist gem from the 1980s. Lizzie Borden herself will be introducing the film, so I’m really excited!
Those are only 10 of the films I’ll try to catch at the festival later this month. There are so many more interesting choices, from Norwegian The King’s Choice to Indian Newton, from documentaries like Delicate Balance to the many intriguing shorts programmes announced. There is really something for everyone, so try to catch it if you’re in town.
Will you be attending? What would be your top pick?xx
