5 must-see movies at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival

‘This was the first film that we invited into the EIFF programme and it really set the tone for the kind of cinema we want to present. Writer, philosopher, and first-time filmmaker Paul B Preciado has reimagined the narrative of Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando” as embodied by a series of trans performers, speaking first in Woolf’s words and then of their own lived experience, to create a film that is polyphonic, witty, beautiful and a rallying cry for trans liberation.’

‘It’s a great year for new talent, and almost half of the films in EIFF are directorial debuts (including our opening night film “Silent Roar’”). For a cracking slice of Scottish genre cinema, we are stoked to present the world premiere of Rodger Griffiths’ first feature “Kill’. A trio of brothers head into the forest with their father on a hunting trip, and only three men return. Showcasing some great emerging acting talent, “Kill” is a gritty tale of twisted grief, paranoia and brotherly love.’

‘Kelly Reichardt is a filmmaker who makes thoughtful cinema exploring fractious human (and non-human) relationships, and with “Showing Up” she creates a funny and sensitive portrait of art-school life in Portland, Oregon. Michelle Williams plays a frustrated sculptor whose preparation for an upcoming exhibition is impeded by family problems, her own social awkwardness, and an errant landlord (Hong Chau) who also happens to be a more successful artist. It’s a precise, subtle movie that holds huge drama in small moments.’

‘Genre cinema has always been a great place to explore matters social, political and psychological, and we’ve been excited this year to encounter a wave of filmmakers using (and subverting) thriller and horror tropes in this way. Debut director Paris Zarcilla confidently engineers a series of twists and turns in this neo-gothic tale of a Filipina woman employed to look after a London stately home and its ailing owner, only to find that colonialism is the ghost that haunts the mansion.’

‘Focusing on four rebellious voices in American independent cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, the Festival’s retrospective features recently restored films by Bette Gordon, Fran Rubel Kazui, Cauleen Smith and Wayne Wang. We’re excited to present a rare screening of “Drylongso”, the 1998 debut of Los Angeles-based artist Cauleen Smith: a smart, layered work that interrogates racial injustice, while crafting a picture of female friendship and creativity that remains both fresh and resonant.’