Edinburgh Film Festival reveals 2025 opening film

Edinburgh International Film Festival returns this August and today it has announced that comedy-drama Sorry, Baby, the debut feature from writer-director Eva Victor, will be the opening film at the 78th edition. Victor also stars alongside Naomi Ackie (Mickey 17, Blink Twice) and Lucas Hedges (Lady Bird, Mid90s) in a film that reportedly blends hysterical comedy with deep trauma.

Sorry, Baby's plot follows Victor as Agnes, a young literature professor who’s recovering from a traumatic experience, and unfolds in nonlinear chapters, which include a visit from Agnes's best pal (Ackie) and awkward flirtations with her neighbour (Hedges). It comes to EIFF on a wave of rave reviews from this year’s Sundance, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and should launch Victor as an exciting triple-threat.

“This is a film that completely floored us,” says EIFF director Paul Ridd about Sorry, Baby. “Its witty and moving script and formal confidence is married to heartbreaking performances from a wonderful cast, and it signals Eva Victor as a major talent on screen and behind the camera.”

After a three-year run of opening with Scottish features (Aftersun in 2022, Silent Roar in 2023 and The Outrun last year), the choice of Sorry, Baby sees EIFF look toward American indie cinema, which has long been a staple of this festival. Ridd notes that he thinks the film, which counts Moonlight director Barry Jenkins among its producers, is an excellent match for the type of cinema EIFF wants to champion. “[Sorry, Baby’s] fierce, uncompromising spirit and independence perfectly aligns with EIFF,” he says, “and we are honoured to open this year’s Festival with such a wonderful film.”  

Sorry, Baby has its UK premiere at EIFF on 14 August, and it kicks off six days of screenings and events at the festival, before getting a wider UK release later in the year via Picturehouse.

Watch the US trailer for Sorry, Baby below, and watch this space in the coming months for more news on what EIFF has planned for 2025.