Editor

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) today announced the full industry programme line-up to take place over 9 days during the Festival. Key industry players will take part in discussions focusing on all areas of the filmmaking process, predominantly hosted at EIFF's new delegate centre venue at the Traverse Theatre. An additional In-Person onstage career interview was also announced with Academy Award® winning cinematographer Chris Menges.

The strong presence of first feature films at this year's EIFF will be reflected in case studies on first features SHELL and Microwave’s BORROWED TIME, as well as a focus on moving from first to second features with speakers including Sarah Gavron (BRICK LANE) and Nick Whitfield (SKELETONS) in First Feature and Beyond.

The Danish Film Institute, in partnership with the EIFF Industry team, will discuss a number of Danish documentaries featured in the EIFF programme. Producers Peter Engel (THE AMBASSADOR) and Helle Faber (AU PAIR; PUTIN’S KISS) will examine the Danish documentary landscape and their successful co-producing experiences in the Danish Documentary Focus.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey returns to the series of conversations he has hosted in recent years with colleagues working in the field of cinematography. 2012 will see an In-Person with Chris Menges (EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE; THE READER and NOTES ON A SCANDAL), the multiple award winning director of photography and two-time Oscar® winner (THE MISSION and THE KILLING FIELDS) who will discuss his remarkable career onstage with Seamus.

Industry Events involving filmmakers with premieres at EIFF include James Marsh and Tom Bradby (SHADOW DANCER) who will discuss the writer/director relationship; and Peter Strickland (BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO) talking about the use of sound design and music to enhance audience’s cinematic experience (the film’s original soundtrack by Broadcast will be released on Warp Records).

Director Mark Cousins (WHAT IS THIS FILM CALLED LOVE?) will discuss the thoughts and emotions evoked by certain imagery in A Thousand Pictures to the Eye: Images, Emotions, and the Movies, while Khavn De La Cruz (PHILIPPINE NEW WAVE: THIS IS NOT A FILM MOVEMENT) examines the Philippine cinema and art scene.

The BFI, Creative England and Film London are also partnering with EIFF on events during the Festival. The BFI will be running a Meet The Funders Panel with representatives from Creative England, Creative Scotland, Film Agency for Wales, Screen Yorkshire and others, advising on the funds they offer and what they look for in projects and talents.  The BFI are also hosting the BFI Film Fund Short Filmmakers Breakfast, an opportunity for attending filmmakers to access key personnel from the BFI and other funding organisations face to face. Creative England’s panel event Small Budgets, Big Talents will reflect upon how some of the brightest new filmmakers in recent years have kick started their careers with low budget films.

Film London is supporting a case study of Microwave feature BORROWED TIME with writer/director Jules Bishop and producer Olivier Kaempfer in attendance. They will also be hosting Low Budget on Trial to debate various topics affecting emerging filmmakers today. Film Export UK, together with Film London and with support from Creative Skillset, will present Market Place Live, an unmissable opportunity to introduce new filmmakers to the concept of the Independent Film Value Chain. Creative Scotland will be supporting daily networking events with a wide selection of partners including BAFTA, Scottish Locations Network, ScreenHi, Scottish Documentary Institute, Playwrights’ Studio, Birds Eye View and Women in Film and Television.

As previously announced, EIFF will be running four Talent Development initiatives throughout the Festival:
Sound Lab & Composers Lab - Supported by the Creative Scotland Creative Futures Fund, EIFF is hosting a second year of the Composers Lab for eight emerging composers to have the opportunity to talk with and learn from working industry composers including: John Lunn (UNCONDITIONAL; DOWNTON ABBEY), Joris de Man (KILLZONE), Nina Humphreys (ALL THE SMALL THINGS; MURDER), Dickon Hinchliffe (SHADOW DANCER; WINTER’S BONE) and Julian Nott (WALLACE AND GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT).

In addition, EIFF are partnering with Savalas, one of the UK's leading sound post-production facilities, to offer a new Sound Lab for Emerging Sound Designers, a truly unique opportunity for participants to fully understand feature film sound from beginning to end. The emphasis will be on the creative practice of film sound design, demonstrated with hands-on experience in a film production house.
Network, an online development and mentoring programme, will run its final event during EIFF 2012. It is aimed at screenwriters, directors and producers, individually and in teams, who have proven experience and are ready to break into feature production, or who are breaking into it on a low-budget scale. Network assists them in building their own networks and offers opportunities for development remotely rather than via residencies. Together with story editor Kate Leys, EIFF has supported 13 participants with 9 projects. The initiative is funded by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund and Creative Scotland.

EIFF Talent Lab offers the opportunity for thirty emerging directors, producers and screenwriters to be inspired and mentored by established professionals in their chosen fields. Taking place through a series of workshops, roundtables, and individually tailored career and development advice sessions over a 4-day programme, the initiative is supported through the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and by Creative Scotland.

Additional EIFF industry event partners include: Pinewood Studios Group, Directors UK, Distrify, Film Export UK, New British Cinema Quarterly/Soda Pictures, advance films/London Film Academy, Screen Academy Scotland, BAFTA, Shooting People and the British Council.

EIFF welcomes over 1200 industry delegates, press and filmmakers each year. With its friendly and intimate atmosphere, EIFF encourages all visitors to watch films, network and make the most of all the events on offer.

Full details of all EIFF Industry Events and Industry Delegate Registration can be found on the Festival website: http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/industry/industry-events-programme-2012

For further information, please contact:
EIFF Press Team, Organic Marketing: EIFFPRteam@organic-marketing.co.uk / 0203 372 0970

Edinburgh International Film Festival 20 June - 1 July 2012
EIFF Box Office is now open at www.edfilmfest.org.uk

About Edinburgh International Film Festival:
Established in 1947, Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema - and for heralding and debating changes in global filmmaking. Intimate in its scale, ambitious in its scope, and fuelled by pure passion for cinema in all its manifestations, EIFF seeks to spotlight the most exciting and innovative new film talent, in a setting steeped in history.

Notable films premiered in recent years have included: 35 SHOTS OF RUM, THE HURT LOCKER, MOON, FISH TANK, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, SOMERS TOWN, MAN ON WIRE, CONTROL, KNOCKED UP, RATATOUILLE, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, TSOTSI, BILLY ELLIOT and AMORES PERROS.

EIFF is supported by Creative Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council, EventScotland, the Scottish Government through the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and the BFI.  EIFF is proud to be part of the Year of Creative Scotland, a Scottish Government initiative led in partnership by EventScotland, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland and VOCAL, which is spotlighting and celebrating Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage.

The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) was founded in 2010 with a vision to be at the forefront of film and the moving image in Scotland.  The CMI currently comprises the EIFF, Edinburgh Filmhouse and Edinburgh Film Guild and its aim is to lead, inspire, educate and entertain in the moving image space.  The CMI is currently developing an ambitious plan to create new businesses and initiatives in Scotland related to film thought and practice.