The Edinburgh Film Festival has confirmed the full lineup for the industry programme, which will run throughout the event’s 2026 edition, taking place from August 13 to 19.
The programme will begin on August 14 with the EIFF Industry Networking Brunch in partnership with Women in Film and Television. This will be followed by an EIFF Industry Talk with veteran indie producer Christine Vachon hosted by journalist, moderator and film festival consultant Wendy Mitchell. The Vachon session will be followed by an on-stage EIFF In Conversation session with legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns hosted by journalist Dave Calhoun.
The programme will continue with an EIFF In Conversation event, hosted in partnership with BAFTA Scotland, with Scottish actor Ewan McGregor. The first day will end with an EIFF Industry Talk titled ‘The Business of Film Roadshow,’ which will see leading industry experts sharing insights about the business side of the sector, hosted by Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund.
The festival’s inaugural UK Film Conference begins on August 15. The event will start with an in-conversation session with British Film Institute CEO Ben Roberts and Clare Binns, who will discuss the future of independent film in the UK. The UK Film Conference continues with ‘Low Budget, High Ambition’, a session focusing on low-budget filmmaking and how UK producers are adapting to an ever-changing landscape.
That will be followed by the EIFF Industry session ‘Would This Get Made?’, an innovative concept where industry professionals will be quizzed on how they would approach the production of a range of projects from the past if they came across their desks in 2026. Speakers include producer Christine Vachon, Stefanie Fahrion (Film4), Alice Ojha (BBC Film), Laura Wilson (Altitude) and Simon Renshaw (Casarotto Ramsay & Associates). The session will be hosted by Wendy Mitchell.
The EIFF Industry Talk session ‘New Nightmares’ will conclude the UK Film Conference with speakers discussing the current state of genre work embracing its moment. Speakers include actor and filmmaker Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale, Clayface) and filmmakers Prano Bailey- Bond (Censor), Chee Keong Cheung (Bad Day at the Office) and Joby Stephens (Abandoned). Hosted by horror content creator Chris Mayo (Big Fat Cult).
Elsewhere, Bruce Dern will take part in a career Q&A with film critic Guy Lodge and documentary filmmaker Paul Sng will host a session titled ‘Unmaking the Colonial Gaze in Cinema.’
Discussing this year’s industry lineup, EIFF CEO and Festival Director, Paul Ridd said: “We could not be prouder of this year’s Industry Programme at EIFF which offers up a diverse and starry range of guests, talks, lively discussions and networking opportunities for Scottish, UK and international folk looking to make connections and hear from some leading experts in their fields, all more accessible than ever before. Our inaugural UK Film Conference is something of the jewel in our crown, but there are so many more must-attend events elsewhere in the programme, all encompassing our fundamental mission to be the home of independent cinema in the UK.”
