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Festival coverage

Edinburgh International Film Festival

2011

Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson in opening night film The Guard
Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson in opening night film The Guard

This year's Edinburgh International Film Festival opened with Irish cop comedy drama The Guard on June 15 and will run until the 26th. The 65th EIFF brought together filmmakers from all around the world with a focus on independent work.

It included a strong short film strand featuring unusual experimental work, and this year there was a science strand with famous scientists attending to explain to audiences how what you see in the movies might work in real life. There were 60 UK premieres and despite the lack of red carpets this year a number of celebrities were in attendance.

You can find links to our reviews, interviews, behind the scenes gossip and exclusive photos below.

Other years (27)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • Jitters
    Review preview for Jitters

    This is a relationship drama, simple and direct. It’s well-acted and the script speaks volumes and none of it appears lost in translation.

    Scott Macdonald · 3 out of 5
    A refreshing coming of age story which plays like an Icelandic Skins.
  • Perfect Sense
    Review preview for Perfect Sense

    There's an awareness here that's missing from many such tales, a more astute take on how disability and society interact.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A chef and an epidemiologist fall in love, just as the world is falling apart.
  • Tomboy
    Review preview for Tomboy

    Sciamma's capturing of children at play is disarmingly accurate, perfectly showing the freewheeling nature of prepubescence in all its glory.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
    Ever wondered what it would be like to switch sex? Laure, 10, does.
  • Food
    Review preview for Food

    Not so much leftovers reheated as new twists on old classics.

    Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
    With sustenance running short, people start to look around for new things to eat.
  • You Are Not I
    Review preview for You Are Not I

    Exquisite.

    Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
    The director's long-lost debut, described by Cahiers du Cinéma as one of the best made movies of the 1980s.
  • Page Eight
    Review preview for Page Eight

    The intrigue feels under-cooked and the subject matter is yesterday's news, robbing an admirably action-free mystery of much of its impact.

    David Graham · 3 out of 5
    An MI5 agent becomes embroiled in intrigue after the death of his boss.
  • The Lion King 3D
    Review preview for The Lion King 3D

    The 3D genuinely adds a layer of freshness to the experience, right from the opening frames when we fly into the heart of the film with Zazu, and the immersive effect makes you reconsider and appreciate the exquisite hand-drawn animation all the more.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
    A guilt-ridden lion cub goes on an adventure. Reissued in 3D.
  • Let Us Be Golden
    Review preview for Let Us Be Golden

    Given how well they've already done, the notion of 'making it' seems a bit moot for this lot.

    David Graham · 3 out of 5
    Three acts. Three sounds. Three attitudes. One goal – a career in music.
  • Magic
    Review preview for Magic

    John Williams' direction is good, managing to make stage magic look like stage magic while using screen magic to make photographs come alive.

    Andrew Robertson · 3.5 out of 5
    A glimpse into the lives of a troupe of stage magicians trying to keep the magic alive.
  • Hooked
    Review preview for Hooked

    For all the subtlety in Alexander Stewart's script and the confidence of Henry Darke's direction it is Tyson and Dobson who make the film.

    Andrew Robertson · 4.5 out of 5
    A mixed-heritage woman falls out with her resentful white mother on a turbulent housing estate.

A–Z of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2011 reviews

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