‘In Transit,' a queer drama directed by Jaclyn Bethany, will make its world premiere in competition at the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) on August 17.
Set in a small town in Maine, the film follows Lucy (Alex Sarrigeorgiou) who tends bar at the local dive where she’s worked for years, content in the rhythms of her quiet life with her longtime boyfriend, Tom (Francois Arnaud). But when Ilse (Jennifer Ehle), a mysterious older artist adrift in her own life, asks Lucy to model for her, each woman stirs in the other the possibility of a different kind of meaning. Just as Lucy learns the bar is being sold and the life she’s built may be slipping away, she has to reckon with what she truly wants.
Reflecting on the selection, the ‘In Transit' team shared:
“'In Transit' is thrilled to World Premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Through EIFF, this female driven, queer story set in rural America will be showcased on a global stage. As filmmakers with ties to both the UK and Europe, we are honoured to premiere at this historic festival, a festival that has discovered and championed diverse filmmaking talent we admire. EIFF is the perfect home for our independent film and we are so grateful to premiere with the festival.”
The film stars Alex Sarrigeorgiou (Lucy), Francois Arnaud (Yellowjackets, The Borgias) as Tom, and Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty, Pride and Prejudice) as Ilse.
‘In Transit' is also nominated for the Sean Connery Award for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, selected at the discretion of the Festival Director. The award, which includes a £50,000 cash prize, is open to features of any genre that will have their World Premiere at EIFF in August 2025, and is voted for by cinema-goers attending public screenings during EIFF. It honors the legacy of Scotland’s most iconic cinematic figure by spotlighting today’s most talented and original filmmakers.
With a runtime of 82 minutes, ‘In Transit' is produced by C.C. Kellogg for Valmora Productions, Jaclyn Bethany for BKE Productions, and Alex Sarrigeorgiou for Little Language Films, alongside producers Sarah Keyes and Tara Sheffer, in association with Good Question Media. Executive producers include C.C. Kellogg, Carl Black, Jaclyn Bethany, Alex Sarrigeorgiou, and Jordan Hart.