^{After Yang, which will show at the Edinburgh International Film Festival's closing gala}

The programme for the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has been revealed, promising 85 feature films, 12 short film programmes, two massive retrospectives and a variety of talks taking place throughout August.

In Creative Director Kristy Matheson’s inaugural edition, the festival will open on Friday 12 August with the premier of Aftersun, a highly praised debut from Scottish director Charlotte Wells. Centring on the uneasy relationship between a young father and his pre-teen daughter as they head on a family holiday to Turkey, this British drama stars Normal People’s Paul Mescal and first-timer Frankie Corio and has already received multiple plaudits when it was first screened at Cannes earlier this year. 

Closing the festival is After Yang, director Kogonada’s playful sci-fi starring Colin Farrell and Jodi Turner Smith in a tale of malfunctioning androids. Already critically acclaimed at 2021’s Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Arthur P Sloan Prize, After Yang continues the trend set by Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049 and Brian And Charles in its study of the human connection found through artificial intelligence. 

The film's Central Gala screening is Nude Tuesday on Tuesday 16 August, in which a 40-something couple head to an all-nude retreat in a farcical bid to rekindle their ailing relationship. Delivered entirely in unintelligible gibberish with subtitles provided by Julia Davis, this dark comedy is a unique proposition. Fans of full-frontal nudity, you've found your dream film.

^{Nothing Compares, the new documentary on Sinead O' Connor from Kathryn Ferguson}

Competing for the festival’s Powell & Pressburger Award For Best Feature Film are 10 works composed of a mix of UK, Irish and international filmmakers. Included is Jan Gassmann’s 99 Moons, Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson’s documentary A Cat Called Dom, Peter Strickland’s latest dark comedy Flux Gourmet, Flávia Neves’ accomplished directorial debut Fogaréu, co-Directors Josh Appignanesi and Devorah Baum’s documentary Husband, Martika Ramirez Escobar’s surrealist comedy Leonor Will Never Die, Andrew Legge’s WW2-set debut feature LOLA, Maha Haj’s second feature Mediterranean Fever, Kathryn Ferguson’s documentary on Sinead O’ Connor Nothing Compares, and Amanda Kramer’s bohemian drama Please Baby Please. 

Beyond the award, the festival is structured by strands, each of which has its own Classic Film and Headline Film slots. This includes a retrospective on the critically revered Japanese performer and director Kinuyo Tanaka, an exploration of experimental female filmmaking, and free outdoor screenings at St Andrew Square Garden, as well as live podcast recordings, speaking events and films accompanied by live orchestral performances. 

Kristy Matheson, Creative Director of EIFF said: ‘For our 75th anniversary, we’ve embraced the very essence of cinema - from its production to its exhibition, it’s a truly collective pursuit. Working alongside a talented team of programmers and festival producers to craft our 2022 programme has been joyous. I’m excited to share our programme with you today and look forward to welcoming audiences back to EIFF this August.’

Tickets for all Edinburgh International Film Festival events are on sale now. EIFF runs from 12–20 August.