Kieron J. Walsh's film "Skintown" has won the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence at the Edinburgh Film Festival, beating nine other features in competition. Set during the 1994 ceasefire in Northern Ireland, the film follows best friends Vinny and Jonty as they navigate small-town life while planning their escape. The award, which carries £50,000 to support future projects, highlights the festival's role in recognising and championing new filmmaking talent.

Alongside the feature prize, Sindha Agha's short film "Grief Room", about estranged sisters reuniting at their mother's deathbed, won the Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence, worth £15,000. This year's festival ran from 13 to 19 August, opening with Louis Paxton's debut feature "The Incomer" and closing with Louise Lockwood's documentary "Bel". EIFF CEO and Festival Director Paul Ridd praised the "exceedingly high" standard of films at this year's event, singling out both winning films for particular acclaim.