Film festival looks set to break record at box office

Published on Friday 26 June 2009 23:11

EDINBURGH International Film Festival is heading for a record-breaking year at the box office.

Organisers said ticket sales are higher than any time in the six-decades history of the festival.

Both the volume of tickets sold and the number of full houses will be well up on last year by tomorrow's closing.

Advance sales as of yesterday afternoon were said to be running about 3.5 per cent ahead of the same time last year, with a host of major premieres, the Best of the Fest final-day selection and the festival's gala award ceremony still to come over the next two days.

More industry delegates than ever have flocked to the event which, for the second year, is in a new June slot in the calendar.

The ticket boom for the EIFF comes in the wake of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe and the capital's book festival all boasting strong early sales.

This year's EIFF has been boosted by guest appearances from film-makers such as Sam Mendes, Bill Forsyth, Joe Dante and Roger Corman, with actors Alan Cumming, Sir Sean Connery, Kerry Fox and Gael Garcia Bernal among those adding glamour on the red carpet.

The film festival, which is celebrating its 63rd year, reported improved ticket sales last June despite the gamble of moving the event out of its traditional ten-day slot in August.

The global economic downturn had heightened fears that events such as the film festival would have suffered a drop in both ticket sales and delegates attending.

However, a spokeswoman for the festival said last night: "On the penultimate day of the festival, indications show that the box office sales have been better than ever, with an increase of 3.5 per cent on last year's figures so far.

"In its second year in June the festival has enjoyed fantastic pre-sales, showing that it is now sitting comfortably in its new slot. Over 45,000 tickets have been issued to date with one full day of the festival still to run, plus Best of the Fest tomorrow.

"Over a third of the public screenings have sold out, with five of the second-chance Best of the Fest screenings selling out within two days of being announced."

The festival's closing gala film, Adam, will be held tonight, with director Max Mayer and star Hugh Dancy expected on the red carpet. Sir Sean Connery, patron of the festival, will oversee tomorrow's awards ceremony at the Filmhouse.

Steve Cardownie, festivals and events champion at Edinburgh City Council, one of the event's main funders, said: "I think these box office figures do vindicate the festival's move to June and the gamble, if indeed it was a gamble, appears to have paid off.

"I know a lot of work and research went on behind the scenes before a decision was taken to move the festival and they were pretty sure it was going to be successful before they went ahead with it.

"However, I do believe the festival would have been even more successful had it not been for the economic downturn."

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