SEVEN years ago Scotland's biggest film event moved out of its traditional home in the calendar of August, when Edinburgh is transformed by its annual cultural festivals.

Now the new director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Mark Adams, has said he will seriously look at the pros and cons of moving the festival back to August as he launches his tenure at the event.

Adams, a journalist and programmer, said that the festival was "looking at all the options" about its future, and noted that other similar events around the world move dates back and forth.

The Edinburgh International Festival, which launches today, for example, has moved its dates this year to synchronise with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Adams, 54, who will base himself both in Edinburgh and London, said he did not have a particular new direction for the festival beyond securing the "very best" films he could for the event.

The programme for the 2015 festival will be unveiled in late May.

Adams, who is succeeding Chris Fujiwara as director, has been chief film critic for film trade magazine Screen International for four years and he is also the film critic for The Sunday Mirror.

The film festival, established in 1947, moved from its traditional home of August to June in 2008.

At the time its artistic director Hannah McGill said that the "shift to June is intended to open it up to new audiences who are otherwise faced with a dizzying choice of clashing activities in August" as well as allowing it to stage events not possible in the city's busiest month.

Some attendees to the festival have noted a lack of atmosphere in the June festival and the return to August has been debated for years.

Adams said that the June date should not just be considered in terms of what is happening in Edinburgh, but also the broader world calendar of cultural events.

Adams said: "It is difficult to say whether August is better because at this stage it is set in stone that we are in June.

"We don't have any strong feelings at this point. We are looking at all the options. Things have changed before, and we are always looking to see what the best option and if that is the best option, that would be wonderful.

"Guests always loved coming in August because there are so many other things on in the city - August is an amazing time to be there."

Adams grew up in Leicestershire before embarking on his career, starting on a local newspaper as a cub reporter.

He was head of programming at the National Film Theatre in London, was director of cinema at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, and has programmed film festivals around the world.

Last year the EIFF, over its 12 days, drew more than 46,000 admissions, a four per cent increase on 2013.

Glasgow's film festival also had more than 40,000 admissions this year, despite having 23 fewer events.