Edinburgh film festival ends troubled year with hope

Edinburgh University's Old College provided the backdrop for a two-day programme of open air screenings

After the most troubled period in its 76-year history, the Edinburgh International Film Festival's latest programme has drawn to a close.

Last October the organisation behind the festival ceased trading and it looked like the world's oldest continually running film festival had finally reached the end of the road.

But a rescue mission by the main international festival and Screen Scotland saw a scaled-down film festival this year, with a hope of a revival in 2024.

This year's six-day event saw 75 cinema screenings, 10 outdoor screenings and five discussion events.

Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh attended the screening of a documentary about his life

Choose Irvine Welsh, directed by Ian Jefferies, was the first of two films to be featured on the closing night.

The documentary focuses on the Welsh's life from his early days in Leith to becoming a celebrated writer of Trainspotting and Filth.

It includes contributions from a host of colourful characters, including pop star Iggy Pop and film director Danny Boyle.

Babak Jalali directed Fremont, the final film of the festival

The final film of the festival was Fremont, directed by Babak Jalali, whose debut - Frontier Blues - played at EIFF in 2010.

The film tells the story of an insomniac Afghan immigrant struggling to live the American Dream while working in a fortune cookie factory.

Earlier in the week, the festival presented a retrospective screening of Shane Meadows' grisly revenge thriller Dead Men's Shoes, which originally had its world premiere at EIFF in 2004.

Shane Meadows attended a retrospective of Dead Men's Shoes

Other festival highlights included Hope Dickson Leach's retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic classic The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, starring Lorn MacDonald, Henry Pettigrew and David Hayman.

Filmed in one night in the dark closes of Edinburgh's Old Town, the film was presented as a live, hybrid performance with the National Theatre of Scotland.

Veteran stage and screen actor Hayman was also in Edinburgh to showcase the award-winning gothic horror, Raging Grace, with writer/director, Paris Zarcilla.

Annabel Scholey and Louise Brealey star in Chuck Chuck Baby

World premieres included Chuck Chuck Baby starring Annabel Scholey and Louise Brealey, a film of love, loss and music, set among the falling feathers of a chicken factory.

It is written and directed by Janice Pugh.

Kill, a gritty debut thriller by Scottish film-maker, Rodger Griffiths, also had its world premiere on Tuesday.

The film tells the story of a hunting trip that turns deadly when three brothers (Daniel Portman, Calum Ross and Brian Vernel) plot to take out their temperamental, abusive father (Paul Higgins).

While the future of the EIFF is still in flux, the successful conclusion to the year's event at least offers some hope that it will regain prominence on the international circuit.