COMMENT

The Edinburgh International Film Festival has reported its highest box office figures since the event moved from its traditional August slot.

More than 53,000 film fans flocked to the event during its 70th anniversary year.

This year’s tally was the highest figure recorded since the controversial move away from the city’s other main festivals in 2008, when 52,175 people attended events.

The admissions figure was nearly 20,000 more than that recorded in 2011 when the festival staged a controversial experiment to drop red carpet premieres, lavish parties and its long-standing awards.

The event has seen steady growth since then, with increases recorded for the last six years in a row since the post of artistic director was reinstated in 2012.

“I had so many people comeuptometosay how much they’ve enjoyed it. A lot of people have come to a lot of films”

MARK ADAMS