DNA Films’ producer Andrew Macdonald has been named chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) for 2024 and beyond, and will lead on the formation of a new organisation that will deliver the festival going forward.
Macdonald will now recruit a board and executive team to lead the festival’s development from September 2023. Further information regarding the new EIFF chaired by Macdonald will follow after the 2023 festival.
Screen Scotland announced in May of this year it was seeking a chair to spearhead the festival’s revival, initially in a voluntary position. This follows a period of uncertainty for the festival’s future, after the closure of its parent charity the Centre for the Moving Image in October 2022.
Macdonald was born and raised in Scotland. In 1992 he made a video diary while working at EIFF about raising finance to produce his first feature film, Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave, written by John Hodge. It was made in 1993 and had its world premiere at EIFF in 1994, going on to win a Bafta.
Macdonald has produced a number of films with the same creative team including Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach and T2 Trainspotting.
He has headed London-based DNA Films with Allon Reich since 1997, producing and financing films including Beautiful Creatures, The Last King of Scotland, Notes On A Scandal, 28 Days Later and Ex Machina.
Recent projects include Men and Civil War, both written and directed by Alex Garland for A24. As well as producing, he is a governor at the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS).
This year’s festival will take place as a streamlined edition from August 18-23, hosted as part of the Edinburgh International festival, under the guidance of programme director Kate Taylor.
“That Andrew has agreed to be the chair of the new Edinburgh International Film Festival is a clear indication of the ambition we all share for the festival’s future,” said Isabel Davis, executive chair of Screen Scotland. “He was one of the first to offer support when the previous organisation collapsed and with his customary vigour, Andrew has already been instrumental in bringing people together to build an exciting new vision for what Edinburgh International Film Festival can become.
“Andrew’s internationally-acclaimed body of work speaks for itself, and his long-standing relationship with Edinburgh and EIFF, his entrepreneurial mindset and producer’s can-do attitude makes him ideal for this role. We’re grateful that he’s prepared to give his time and energy to this exciting, if huge, project, and look forward to working with him as he builds the team that will take on the direct running of the Festival for 2024 onwards.”
Macdonald added: “Edinburgh International Film Festival played a huge part in my own early producing career; it’s held dear by film makers and audiences and admired by so many around the world.
“Working together with fellow film makers, funders and festival experts on a proposition for the future of EIFF from 2024 has been altogether compelling and in this new role, I’m looking forward to helping to build long-term success for EIFF in the years to come.”
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