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I'm old enough to remember Bill Forsyth's first films Gregory's Girl and That Sinking Feeling resonating with me as a teenager when, in the early Eighties, I first watched them during half-term breaks in the North of Scotland. We thought they were great. The dark, understated comedies were familiar and strange at the same time - it seemed like some local kids had just strolled into the film, yet there was nothing else like these out there. Scottish feature films were few and far between back then.

I can tell you this year's EIFF has nearly taken it out of me. I decided to go for a swim this morning to try and remember what its like to not be in a cinema and to feel...well just to feel anything to be honest. In the last two weeks, my muscles for doing anything physical have atrophied into a sitting half awake position and consequently I sank to the bottom of the pool like a stone the second I jumped in.

I can’t hear anything this morning. My ears are bleeding thanks to Scotland’s premier psychedelic post rock band who didn’t just play very loudly last night at the HMV Picture House but played through speakers that were actually 747 aircraft engines. Well, it seemed that way to me.

We're now past the half-way mark at the Edinburgh Film Festival (it finishes this Sunday, with the B

A couple of hours after seeing Spread (see previous blog) I went to see what is probably the most anticipated film of the EIFF, a film that couldn't be further removed from the charming warm breeze of Ashton Kutcher if it tried. I have folks, survived the ordeal that is Antichrist.

A team of road maintenance specialists set upon my head this morning with a pneumatic drill accompanied by a klaxon like siren at the ungodly hour of 8am.

Apologies to anyone who’s been frothing at the mouth with anticipation for my promised daily pearls of wisdom from the EIFF but I have a small confession to make. I have a job. Another job.

Once more unto the breach my friends. I’m back and I’m ready for my annual cinematic adrenalin shot in the arm. The Edinburgh International Film Festival is back and the twain shall coincide once again.

Posting events to the Edinburgh Events calendar is still in beta stage and is still restricted to staff while we work out the kinks.

You probably didn't notice it, but EdinburghGuide moved this morning to a new server. We outgrew our previous server space and are now spreading out on a higher end Dell 1950.

We have added an EdinburghGuide.com newsletter. Initially, this will occasionally let you know about developments on the site and other noteworthy news.

They've nearly all finished by now, and a number of venues have already opened for at least preview business. 'They' are the folk who actually make the Fringe and all the other festivals happen in Edinburgh in August - the 'tech crews' as they're generally known.

According to the most recent reports (that I've heard) the Fringe Box Office resumes business today. Possibly. Technology

It's like the lists we're encouraged to make up in the panic-strewn pre-Christmas weeks - do we have a plan of the venue? Has it got enough detail for the designer and director?

How much does it cost to mount a show on the Fringe? Dreadful question, but art costs money somewhere along the line - even graffiti artists need materials.

This short effort will cover the run in to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For the first time in about ten years, I'm directly involved in a Fringe production. I've written this one

Completely against my predictions (I plumped for Duane Hopkins Better Things), the prolific and ever popular Shane Meadows (having come close once before) wins the Michael

I have it on very good authority that to include the words 'Mae West' and 'Smelly Feet' into my blog and its title will ensure it thousands of hits in a matter of seconds so let's call this particular blog entry a social experiment. Now let's just skip that madness and get back to the real biscuit in hand - the very last official day

EIFF Blog - Day 10. I racked up another Michael Powell Award contender last night in the shape of Matthew Thompson's debut feature Dummy.

A quick update. Since scribing a few words back there in my last blog on Better Things, I ought to tell you that I also saw Helen, also in contention for the Michael Powell award and Wall-E