Analysis: Lack of buzz reveals sad truth: the timing's not right

Published on Sunday 26 June 2011 16:16

Maybe it's time for the organisers of the Edinburgh International Film Festival to admit the move to June was a mistake. There's no shame in it. They tried something; it didn't really work.

The arguments made at the time - that it would allow a greater focus on the festival away from the glare of Fringe, Book and International events; that it would take the pressure off the city's resources at the busiest time of the year; that it would be easier and cheaper for visitors to find accommodation - don't really count for much if the event itself is faltering. And it clearly is. I've been covering it professionally for 11 years (and attending it for 14) and I've never seen it quieter than it was this year. There were some sell-out films (some of them were even good), but there was no disguising the general lack of buzz.

One of the reasons why the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas has grown in international stature over the last few years is precisely because it's part of a massive music and technology expo; the eyes of the world are upon it. Edinburgh used to have that. It no longer does and its attempts this year to generate that kind of atmosphere on its own with numerous music-related events, science-related discussions and half-formulated curatorial experiments hasn't been particularly successful.

A move back to August might help it regain that kind of kudos, especially if it's still intent on redefining itself as a smaller, hipper, more concentrated event. I think people are more willing to be adventurous when there's a celebratory mood in the city, and distributors might be more willing to screen their quality, prestige films knowing that there's a receptive, hungry audience desperate to see them.

If the festival is to stay in June, then whoever is appointed as the artistic director next month really will have to pull out all the stops to make the programme special: stop just screening anything that's available - make it more exclusive, make "getting into Edinburgh" mean something again.