The Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced an exciting line-up of filmmakers, actors and industry figures for its expanded 2026 industry programme, featuring Kenneth Branagh, Ewan McGregor, Bruce Dern and Ken Burns alongside producers, executives and emerging talent across five days of talks, panels and networking events.
Branagh will receive the festival’s inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Film Award and will participate in an on-stage conversation. McGregor will take part in a separate speaking event in partnership with BAFTA Scotland. Both Burns and Dern will participate in individual Q&As at the event.
Acclaimed independent producer Christine Vachon (Carol, Past life) will headline several industry talks in Edinburgh, including a session titled ‘Will this be made?’ along with executives from Film4, BBC Film and UK distributor Altitude to discuss which projects have been greenlit of the past decades and which would make it if they were released in 2026.
On August 15, the festival will launch its inaugural UK Film Conference, described as an assessment of the state of the nation in British independent filmmaking. The conference will open with a keynote by BFI Chief Executive, Ben Roberts, in conversation with Picturehouse Director, Claire Baines, examining the future of independent film in the UK.
The genre-focused “New Nightmares” session will focus on director Max Minghella and directors Prano Billy Bond, Chi Kyung Cheung and Joby Stevens, and will be moderated by horror content creator Chris Mayo.
Additional programs include a session on adapting literature for cinema with the participation of authors, screenwriters and producers from the festival’s official selections Additional Geography and Borges and Me. An industry talk titled ‘Deconstructing the Colonial Gaze in Cinema’ will explore the generational impact of colonialism on cinema with director Paul Senge.
The five days of programmes, running from 13 to 19 August, will include daily networking lunches and drinks in partnership with organizations including the British Film Institute, Women in Film and Television, BAFTA Scotland, Screen Scotland and ScreenSkills.
“We couldn’t be prouder of this year’s industry program at EIFF which offers a fantastic variety of guests, talks, live discussions and networking opportunities for Scottish, UK and international people looking to make connections and hear from some of the leading experts in their fields, all more accessible than ever before,” said EIFF CEO and Festival Director Paul Reed. “Our inaugural UK film conference is a jewel in our crown, but there are plenty of events to attend elsewhere in the programme, all encompassing our core mission of being the home of independent cinema in the UK.”
