Emotions run high as 'Connery clan' return to the Edinburgh International Film Festival

Jason Connery with Jack King, writer and director of The Ceremony, the inaugural winner of the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. | Edinburgh International Film Festival

Jason Connery had more reason than most to feel a bit emotional as the Edinburgh International Film Festival drew to a close.

The late Sir Sean Connery’s family has played a key role in bringing the event back to life this year, not least with their establishment of a new feature film prize named after the Edinburgh-born screen star.

The extended “Connery clan”, as the star’s son described them, were out in force at the Cameo Cinema for the presentation of the inaugural award to self-taught writer and director Jack King for his Yorkshire-set migrant workers drama The Ceremony.

Jason added: "He loved Scotland, he loved Edinburgh and he loved the film festival. He used to come here a lot. He was like a kid in a sweetie store, really. He used to leave talking to the filmmakers, because he loved what he did.

"We are all here as the Connery clan because of the love we have for him and the passion he had for telling stories.”

Jason, an actor, director and co-founder of the huge film studio complex in Leith Docks, told the audience how the £50,000 prize was partly inspired by advice his father had given him about going into the film industry.

“He told me: ‘Well, you should always do the best in whatever job you do and get well paid in a currency you both want and need.

"I sort of smirked and thought: ‘Well, I’m doing it for the love of the art, dad.’

"But he said: ‘I don’t mean in a materialistic way, but in a way that gives you choice. If you have some money in the bank it allows you to develop the projects you really feel passionate about.’

“We were talking a while ago with the festival about the wonderful idea of having Sean Connery back at the festival, even though unfortunately he is not here any more. We thought that there should be prize money which will hopefully give the winner of this award choice, so that they can develop their next story.”

New documentary Since Yesterday, which charts the history of ‘Scottish girl bands,’ closed the Edinburgh International Film Festival. | Euan Robertson

The blending of art forms has been noticeable more than ever in Edinburgh this month and nowhere more so than at the Cameo for the EIFF closing gala Since Yesterday.

Female musicians from several generations were out in force for the world premiere of Carla Easton and Blair Young’s much-anticipated documentary charting the history of Scottish “girl bands” back to the 1960s.

The audience burst into applause throughout the screening, not only in response to some of the tracks featured, but the withering verdicts of the interviewees on some of their experiences in the male-dominated industry.

The documentary features little-known acts like The McKinley Sisters, who supported The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, His Latest Flame, the first band to perform at the Barrowland Ballroom after it reopened and Strawberry Switchblade, who were in the charts for a staggering 20 weeks in 1985 with Since Yesterday, the song the new film is inspired by.

Probably the best revelation of the entire documentary is that the Scottish pop classic was actually inspired by the prospect of nuclear war.