Edinburgh Film Festival Director Paul Ridd on 2026 Lineup, Emerging Voices, and Industry Challenges
By
Lily Ford
Summary
Edinburgh International Film Festival director Paul Ridd discusses the 2026 lineup, which he believes is the strongest since the festival's reboot three years ago. In his third year at the helm alongside producer Emma Boa, Ridd reflects on navigating an unstable industry dominated by IP, nepotism, and AI. The festival continues its mission to spotlight emerging voices, with notable names like Ewan McGregor, Gregg Araki, and Kenneth Branagh attending. Ridd also shares his surprise at the 'obsession' phenomenon surrounding certain films and offers perspectives on Robert Redford's legacy and Hollywood's reduced festival presence.
Source
Key quotes
· 3 pulledI've been very proud of everything we've done in 2024 [and] 2025
But this one, I think, is really kind of surpassing expectations.
I did not see that coming
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