Film festival aiming to be Europe's arthouse base

Published on Monday 17 March 2008 22:28

EDINBURGH International Film Festival backers yesterday unveiled plans to establish it as Europe's leading platform for new independent film-making.

The proposals come as it was announced the cash-strapped festival will receive 1.9 million of lottery cash over three years to 2010 – an extra 600,000 a year for a festival with an annual budget of 1.2 million.

The festival's director, Hannah McGill, called it a "ringing endorsement of Edinburgh's ethos of discovery, its celebration of talent, spreading film knowledge and film education".

The festival runs from 18 to 29 June this year, moving from August to try to win better exposure. The money is a large slice of a 4.5 million fund the UK Film Council is handing out to Britain's film festivals.

The council's chief executive, John Woodward, suggested Edinburgh could emulate the success of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

Founded by the actor Robert Redford as a showcase for aspiring film-makers, Sundance made its name after screening the acclaimed Sex, Lies and Videotape in 1989. Sundance is now a world-famous showcase where Hollywood distributors come shopping for new films. "If you think about where Sundance is, that's not a bad aspiration," Mr Woodward said.

The film council's new strategy for revamping and rationalising Britain's festivals will see another festival backed as the glitzier "red carpet" event. The London Film Festival, in August, is the obvious candidate.

Edinburgh prides itself on discovering films such as Tsotsi, which won the audience award in August 2005 before winning an Oscar the following spring.

It also has a history of major premieres, but financially, has struggled against major European competitors.

"You can see by the amount of money that we have an immense confidence in this festival's ability to deliver," Mr Woodward said. "Niche films are becoming more important than they have ever been, and people are always interested in the new."