08/10/2008

The producer of movie blockbusters, Children of Men and Cold Mountain, has been unveiled as the new chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
 
Iain Smith succeeds John McCormick, who has been chair since 1996.
 
Smith has been a director of the EIFF since November last year and is a board member of the Scottish Screen/Scottish Arts Council joint board.

He has served as a board member of the UK Film Council, on the Scottish Film Council, the Scottish Film Production Fund, the Scottish Film Training Trust and as a governor of the National Film and Television  School. He is currently chair of the Film Skills Strategy Committee, deputy chair of the British Film Advisory Group and is a director of the Children's Film and Television Foundation.

One of his immediate tasks is to recruit a co-artistic director for next year’s festival, to cover current artistic director, Hannah McGill, going on maternity leave.

Among those to welcome Smith’s appointment is Ken Hay, chief executive of Scottish Screen, who said: “Iain Smith represents all that the EIFF already is and what it seeks to be: a discoverer of talent, passionate about film and how it can inspire audiences and transform lives, and by no means least, a commitment to developing the Scottish film industry. John McCormick has been the perfect chair to navigate the festival through the last 12 years, Iain is the perfect choice to take the EIFF forward.”

Born in Glasgow in 1949, Smith’s credits also include Alexander (producer), Entrapment (executive producer), The Fifth Element (co-producer), The Killing Fields (associate producer) and Local Hero (associate producer). He was a producer on Children of Men and an executive producer on Cold Mountain.

Next year’s festival takes place between June 17 and 28.


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