What's On Scotland 14-21 Aug: Edinburgh International Film Festival & more

Look out, every other festival in Edinburgh right now, Edinburgh International Film Festival is back, playing in venues such as the Cameo, Vue and the newly reopened Filmhouse from 14-20 August, with a stunning programme of premieres, retrospectives, and more.

Things kick off with opening film Sorry, Baby, a subversive comedy-drama about the aftermath of a sexual assault, and continue with the festival’s acclaimed horror strand Midnight Madness, and talks from the likes of Ken Loach (whose The Wind That Shakes the Barley is screening in 35mm), Andrea Arnold and Nia Da Costa. Check out the full programme here.

ADVERTORIAL | Here & Now Showcase
Various venues, Edinburgh. 18-24 August
This year’s showcase of artists bring their backgrounds and lived experiences together to explore themes of tradition, heritage, revolution and collective deliberation, community building and self-discovery. Featuring Khalid Abdalla with Nowhere, Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee with The Legends of Them, Ad Infinitum with Last Rites, and SERAFINE1369 with IV. Funded by Arts Council England, Here & Now is presented by partner organisations Battersea Arts Centre, FABRIC and GIFT. For dates and more info click here.

Taproom Sessions
Bellfield Brewery, Edinburgh. Until 24 Aug
A new grassroots music festival launched as a collaboration between Hidden Door and Bellfield Brewery, Taproom Sessions offers a welcome break away from the hubbub of the Fringe while still offering a snapshot of the Scottish creative landscape. Image: Laura Meek.

Bikini Body
The Hug and Pint, Glasgow. 15 Aug, 7:30pm
The Hug and Pint's Endless Summer continues with Edinburgh post-punk mainstays Bikini Body dropping by. Find them playing music from their cathartic, spiky EP Weird Party alongside Scottish rising stars on the indie scene Isabella Strange and Ceefax. Image: Rosie Sco.

Claire Barclay: KINSKINS
Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow. Until 4 Oct
Developed during a year-long residency at Glasgow Print Studios, this engaging installation piece by Glasgow-based artist Claire Barclay interrogates how we approach printmaking practices, both visually and through experiences of memory, touch and movement. Image: Alan Dimmick.

Here & Now Showcase
Various venues, Edinburgh. 18-24 Aug
Bringing up some of the best of performance from England, this year's showcase has gorgeous choreography piece IV exploring cycles of time, divination and decomposition, and Khalid Abdalla’s Nowhere exploring acts of individual and collective revolution. Image: Camilla Greenwell.

↪ The Horse of Jenin
Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh, 30 Jul-25 Aug (not 9, 16, 19, 20), 2:20pm
Comedian Alaa Shehada’s play asks what happened to The Horse of Jenin – a sculpture built from scrap metal and debris from houses and cars destroyed during the Second Intifada – blending comedy, storytelling and mask work. Image: Kamerich & Budwilowitz

→ So You Think You’re Funny
Various venues, Edinburgh, 13-21 Aug (not 19), various times
Gilded Balloon's annual comedy competition kicks off this week. There's a week's worth of competition heats with some of the best comedy newcomers across the country, followed by a grand final to crown the winner.

→ Headset 10 Years Series pt.2
Sub Club, Glasgow. 15 Aug, 10:30pm
Headset continue their tenth birthday party celebrations with a lineup of some of Scotland's best selectors – including Neil Landstrumm, Kami-O, ELANDA and Skillis – playing techno, bass, breaks and UK garage.