Current stars to have walked the red carpet have included Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Lawrence, Sigourney Weaver, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Clint Eastwood, Kylie Minogue, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.
Despite not being quite as high profile as the likes of Cannes, Venice or Sundance, Edinburgh can boast to be the world's oldest continually running film festival.
In that time it has hosted the UK premieres of many box office blockbuster and critical hits including Blade Runner, Alien, Back to the Future, Taxi Driver, Annie Hall, The Usual Suspects, Amelie, and The Hurt Locker.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s it was a glamorous affair that attracted many of the great filmmakers of the era.
With the closing of its home at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse cinema, the festival’s future was at threat, but it is returning for a truncated edition this year under the auspices of the Edinburgh International Festival.
Here are 20 pictures to take you back to those happier days.
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5. Happy birthday
Anthony Asquith receives heather from Susan Parar and Elizabeth 'Pygmalion' Griffith at the Rank Organisation's 21st birthday celebration in the New Victoria Cinema during the festival in 1956. Photo: Unknown
6. Casting Caller
Stars Kathleen McDermott and Samantha Morton join director Lynne Ramsay at the premiere of Morvern Callar at the Odeon Cinema as part of the 2002 Edinburgh International Film Festival. | TSPL
8. Big Yin
Billy Connolly arrives for the Edinburgh Film Festival launch with his wife Pamela Stephenson in 2004. | EN license