EIFF: Director Hannah's 144 highlights

Published on Friday 12 June 2009 14:35

No-one is better placed to offer their top tips on this year's unmissable movies than Hannah McGill.

The artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival has watched virtually every movie on show at this year's event – all 144 of them.

Asked to pick out the highlights, she laughs: "Obviously every single one of them. As ever, it depends on what you're looking for."

But she adds: "I'm very interested to see what people's reaction will be to The Girlfriend Experience, directed by Steven Soderbergh (Che, Erin Brockovich). It's about a high-class prostitute in New York whose clients are affected by the financial crisis. Soderbergh made it very quickly, reacting very fast to the situation. The star, Sasha Grey, is a celebrated porn star and is a very interesting character in her own right."

The Girlfriend Experience, Cineworld 2, 24 June (9.30pm), 27 June (8.45pm).

McGill also picks out Rudo & Cursi as one to watch. Directed by Carlos Cuaron, it sees Mexican superstars Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna play two football-mad brothers seeking fame and fortune.

"It's a really lovely, sweet film and it's very funny," says McGill. "And the fact the two stars and the director are going to be here is absolutely brilliant."

Rudo & Cursi, Cineworld 7, 21 June (8.45pm), 24 June (1pm).

McGill says: "I'm also very excited about the British section this year – it's very broad-ranging."

She cites Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold's intense tale of a 15-year-old girl family struggles, and Moon, a creepy science fiction film starring Sam Rockwell, as two to look out for.

Fish Tank, Cameo 1, 21 June (8.15pm), 24 June (3pm).

Moon, Cameo 1, 20 June (9pm), 23 June (9.15pm).

For a documentary that packs a serious punch, McGill recommends The Last Heroes of the Peninsula, which tracks down five boxing world champions in the Mexican city of Merida.

"It's a student graduation and it's beautifully done," she says.

The Last Heroes of the Peninsula, Cineworld 10, 18 June (6pm), 24 June (5.15pm).

McGill adds: "I always try to encourage people to root around and find something that's a bit of an experiment. Look for things that are unfamiliar. People go to the film festival to see things that they wouldn't normally see."

Tickets for all films are 8.50 (7.50). To order, phone [phone]