Festivals, Cultural and City Events

Film Festival interview with Dr Jonny Murray

Dr Jonny Murray is Director of Design Context at Edinburgh College of Art.

Bill Forsyth at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
Bill Forsyth in person at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

His main research interests lie in the field of contemporary Scottish cinema and popular culture. He was involved in a number of Q&A sessions during the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Dr Murray also organised the second annual Scottish Film Summit in partnership with EIFF, which took place on the opening night of the Festival (17 June).

What does your involvement entail at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival?

I’ll be chairing 12-15 public filmmaker Q&As as part of the official festival programme, speaking to guests including actors Jane Seymour and Rhys Ifans and covering a diverse range of fiction and documentary films from around the world.

What do students and staff get from being involved?

Staff and students have the chance to be directly involved with the oldest continuously running film festival in the world: there are few better opportunities anywhere to spend 10 days immersing yourself in the latest cinematic works and trends from around the globe.

In what ways do you think the University enhances the festival?

Our graduating Animation and Film and Television students from ECA regularly contribute work to the EIFF programme, enhancing the Festival’s international reputation as a key seeding ground for new filmmaking talent.

Through a diverse range of activities (career retrospective interviews, filmmaker Q&As and film industry pitching workshops) the acknowledged expertise of academic staff in ECA and the wider university helps Festival audiences to engage knowledgeably with many of the films and filmmakers that grace the EIFF programme.

How does taking part in the Film Festival inspire you?

There’s no better place in the UK, and few better places globally, to directly experience and understand the diversity and exuberance of contemporary cinematic practice, from blockbusters to black-box experimental film work.

What do you hope audiences can get out of coming to the Festival?

The opportunity to sample no less than 164 fiction and documentary features from around the globe and meet many of the filmmakers responsible for making them - and all in the surroundings of one of Europe’s most beautiful historic capital cities.

Have any other screenings or events especially caught your eye this year?

In Person events with actors Ewan McGregor, Jane Seymour and Malcolm McDowell and many other globally recognised filmmakers.