The EIFF programming team have been continuing their global film search for the 2009 Festival. While Artistic Director Hannah McGill has been to festivals in San Sebastian, Venice and the exotic climes of Morelia in Mexico, programmer Robert Hope headed east to Pusan in South Korea.

Diane Henderson, however, wasn't at all disappointed with the less exotic location of Gydnia for the Polish Film Festival.

"This year was extremely high quality, an outstanding year for Polish cinema," notes Diane. "I saw a lot of very fresh new work, and festivals like Gydnia are great to get a snapshot of a country's current trends."

Diane is keen to dispel the myth that festival life, for a visiting programmer, is a whirlwind of glamorous parties and glitzy premieres.

"Typically I'm watching films from nine in the morning until after midnight, seeing around 6 films each day with the occasional break for an industry event or a meeting.

"That's not to say I'm complaining. It's exhausting, yes, but it's so worthwhile."

A passion for cinema is a prerequisite for any EIFF programmer, and there's a real joy in discovering new talent.

"Take Rob Hope in Pusan," Diane explains. "It's only our second time at the festival and he's discovered some great films which haven't yet been through the usual channels of distributors and agents."

While Diane is coy when it comes to details, she emphasises the importance of making an impression on up-and-coming filmmakers.

"My next stop is the American Film Market in Los Angeles, and that's a situation where people bring projects in pre-production and is a great opportunity to build long-term relationships."

With a growing team of more than twenty programmers and programming consultants having already seen hundreds of films from around the globe at festivals and through the submissions process, surely Diane can given an indication of one or two of the films we might see in 2009?

"All I can say is that we're following up on a number of titles."

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