Kelly Macdonald in Puzzle Kelly Macdonald in Puzzle

The 72nd edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from June 20 to July 1 and opened with Marc Turtletaub's Puzzle.

The festival's three-strand retrospective was entitled Time of the Signs: Chasing the American Zeitgeist - it is split into subsections, American Woman: Female Directors in American Cinema; American Exposé: The Media in Mainstream American Cinema; and The American Nightmare: Horror in Mainstream American Cinema.

Calibre won the Michael Powell Award.

View Films by Strand:

View previous years coverage of the Edinburgh International Film Festival festival:

Box office and information

EIFF Latest Reviews

Radiance
Radiance
A writer of film versions for the visually impaired falls for a photographer who is losing his eyesight, together they learn to see the radiant world.
Smooth Talk
Smooth Talk
A free-spirited teenager has an encounter with a dangerous man.
Princess Emmy
Princess Emmy
A young princess with a secret gift is put to the test.
Those Who Are Fine
Those Who Are Fine
A call centre worker begins to work a scam on the elderly.
Unicorn Store
Unicorn Store
A unicorn-obsessed woman meets a salesman who claims he can supply her with one of her own if she fulfils a series of chores.
Piercing
Piercing
A man seeks out an unsuspecting stranger to help him purge the dark torments of his past. His plan goes awry when he encounters a woman with plans of her own. A playful psycho-thriller game of cat-and-mouse.
Two For Joy
Two For Joy
A family struggling with bereavement try to find solace on a caravan holiday.
An Elephant Sitting Still
An Elephant Sitting Still
The lives of four people cross over the course of a day in China.
Woman Up!
Woman Up!
An ambitious woman treads a dangerous path as she attempts to crash the corporate boys’ club.
Possum
Possum
A disgraced children's puppeteer is forced to face up to his wicked stepfather.
A-Z of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018 reviews >>>

Edinburgh International Film Festival Features

Unnatural pleasures
Nicolas Pesce on working with Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowski and channelling Hitchcock in Piercing
The public Eye
C'est La Vie! star Haïdara on the art of comedy, her rising career and fighting racial stereotypes
Seeing a progression
Marc Turtletaub on Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman and Puzzle
Keeping up appearances
Marcello Martinessi on cultural conservatism and filmmaking honesty in The Heiresses
A different space
Kelly Macdonald on working with Marc Turtletaub on Puzzle
In there somewhere
Kelly Macdonald on her character in Marc Turtletaub's Puzzle
Everyday poetry
Marc Turtletaub on Mike Leigh, Alfonso Cuarón, and the screenplay and locations for Puzzle
The image maker
Tiffany Bartok on Isabella Rossellini, Tori Amos and Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story
Creative spirit
Haifaa Al-Mansour takes a feminist perspective on Mary Shelley
Race against time
Finlay Pretsell on cycling, David Millar and Time Trial
Making up is hard to do
Tiffany Bartok on Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story
Unreal belonging
Gustavo Pizzi and Karine Teles discuss Loveling and portraying families on screen
A sensory experience
Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi on kaleidoscope eyes and The Gospel According To André
Style and grace
Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi on The Gospel According To André
Putting island in doc
Gabrielle Brady on the challenges of shooting Island Of The Hungry Ghosts
Fitting music to the Puzzle
Dustin O'Halloran talks about his latest score.
Keeping score
Director Giorgio Ferrero on music and memory in his documentary hybrid Beautiful Things.
Romero - master of the macabre
Veteran director on zombies, religion and genocide.
Creature feature
Legendary animator Ray Harryhausen talks about his life and work.

Edinburgh International Film Festival News

Bridging the Gap calls for applications
Documentary filmmakers asked for proposals on the theme 'red'
Calibre wins Michael Powell Award in Edinburgh
Full awards list and Best of the Fest announced
On the road - to the Outer Hebrides
EIFF world première for Lift Share in shorts showcase
Eye Haïdara to attend EIFF
César-nominated rising star to present British premiere of C'est La Vie
EIFF launches programme
21 world premieres in line-up
Scotland first for EIFF
Festival announces titles with homegrown connections
EIFF announces The Young & The Wild
Festival expands youth programme
Jaws with live score coming to EIFF
Spielberg shark classic to be accompanied by RSNO
Synchronised finale for EIFF
Oliver Parker’s Swimming With Men to close festival
EIFF to start with Puzzle
Kelly Macdonald drama to open 72nd edition
Edinburgh announces retrospective
Time of the Signs: Chasing the American Zeitgeist puts Seventies and Eighties US cinema in spotlight

Edinburgh International Film Festival Galleries

First images of Rob Brydon's Swimming With Men
First images of Swimming With Men
News

59th New York Film Festival early bird highlights Futura, Jane By Charlotte, James Baldwin: From Another Place and The Velvet Underground

More news and features

Playing Now

Eye For Film continues to support festivals both locally and across the world. At the moment, we're covering:

NewFest

London Film Festival
Celebration of world cinema

Scottish Queer International Film Festival

Grimmfest

New York Film Festival
62nd edition of the festival

In the Archive


Archive of festival coverage.

Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2018.

Coverage of the lynchpin German festival.