What a shame.

This is a terrible decision for Scottish cinema and the Edinburgh Film Festival. I am in shock over this one....

It is no coincidence that this has come about as soon as the new film festival head, Hannah McGill, has started in the job and that Sean Connery (who is obsessed with furthering Scottish film culture - but on his terms) starts to get involved. And WHY is "attracting more stars" a necessity to the Edinburgh Film Festival....?! It's meant to be a carnival of cinema, NOT a Grazia-fuelled pap fest...

The Edinburgh Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. It is also the best. It has always been about the films and the culture of film making and watching. Isolating it in this way smacks of 'art-house' tampering. The festival works superbly as it is. It is - or was - brilliantly sited in the heart of the fringe and comedy festivals and compliments the whole 'Edinburgh' experience. I seriously believe moving the EIFF to June will actually diminish its standing and world presence. Most artists, creatives and film students are attending Edinburgh in August on a budget and a timescale. Asking them to double up that commitment can only see the film festival suffer. It will just become an industry-fuelled fortnight with lovely pictures of the stars in the evening papers, but the public staying away in droves.

And since when did any of the arts venues and festivals take much notice of the already greedy hoteliers and hostel owners when it comes to artistic output and scheduling decisions....?!

Upping its profile (and I don't see why selling out tickets year in, year out requires a 'rethink') is only going to steer the most chilled, adept and enjoyable film festival in the world into a prize giving, trade-fest that defeats the object of why people head to Edinburgh every August to immerse themselves in ALL cultures, including film. The EIFF will lose the general public factor and become just another marketing love-in.<

I'm not sure whether the date move is a good thing or not, but it will become obvious next year.

Unlike others (like the two posters above) with their knee-jerk reactions, I think this could be great for the Film Festival which is, if only somewhat, overshadowed by the bigger Fringe and International Festivals. I don't know where #2's notion that it's to attract bigger names came from - this, I would think, is less likely to happen just after Cannes, so I would assume the change is more of an effort to do the exact opposite and better carve out their niche for quality new and up-and-comming directors.

How many general Festivals visitors come to the city and don't see / involve themselves in any Film Festival events because they're so blinded by the bigger Festivals? How difficult does that make it for movie fans to make the journey (with hugely inflated travel and hotel prices)? Perhaps more people will come from further afield. Perhaps locals who only have so much money to use to see events in one month can and will be able to afford to get more involved with the Film Festival and it will grow in size and stature. Who knows unless they try?

Edinburgh is "Festival City" not "Festival City in August only". I say let's live up to the name and add to the Hogmanay and Science Festivals outwith the late summer glut.

Well done EIFF for having the b*lls to at least try it.

Dr Blockbuster agrees with the decision to move to June. WELL DONE Hannah & the board. As I said previously, it took steel to make that move but Dr Blockbuster believes it will pay off.

Whilst, of course, there is a symbiotic relationship between all the Festivals going on ... I really do believe now that there is just TOO MUCH going on in Edinburgh in August, and that it is just about impossible to go to everything one wants to see.

June's fine with me and you can't argue with Dr Blockbuster and live!

:wink: