Edinburgh International Film Festival Brings Back Awards for 2012 After Dropping Plaudits Last Year

Edinburgh International Film Festival organizers said the Scottish capital set shindig will bring back its awards and detailed just which nods will be dished out.

The festival said this year's edition would include nods for best international movie by an emerging director, best performance in a British feature film and the Michael Powell Award for best British movie.

It marks a return to plaudits after last year's edition dropped the awards amid controversy and industry-wide surprise at the decision.

While in previous years Edinburgh's Michael Powell Award honored the best British feature film selected from the British Gala section, this year organizers said documentaries will also be eligible.

The nod for best performance will be presented to an individual "for his or her exceptional performance in a U.K. feature-length production."

The international feature film award will be bestowed on an emerging director at the helm of an international (non-U.K.) feature-length production, again either fiction or documentary.

Both the British and international competition sections will be judged by international juries. 

Eligibility for the awards will be at the artistic director Chris Fujiwara’s discretion and it will be possible for international and British features to screen as part of the programme but out of competition.

Fujiwara said: "I feel very strongly that having noteworthy awards is important for an international film festival. Awards can stimulate creative dialogue and above all help shine the spotlight on emerging talent, which is part of the mission of EIFF.”

The Edinburgh International Film Festival runs June 20 through July 1, 2012.