Hard on the heels of the International Festival's programme launch, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) unveiled 2008's offering this week.  But there's a twist: in perhaps the biggest change to Edinburgh's Festival calendar since the whole shooting-match began, the EIFF's moved this year's festivities from August to June.

Because the date change takes it out of the core Festival period, FringeGuru won't be covering the EIFF in detail this year - but we'll still be watching its progress with interest.  As our own Craig Thomson reported last year, the switch to June is planned to dovetail into the global film festival calendar, slotting neatly between Cannes and the "Venice/Toronto logjam" (as the EIFF's patron Tilda Swinton so memorably described it).

There are high hopes, too, that the Festival's move will raise its profile within Edinburgh, at last bringing it out of the shadow of the International Festival and the all-conquering Fringe.  It's a good portent, perhaps, that this year's Film Festival has expanded into a swathe of new venues, with such Festival stalwarts as the Traverse Theatre hosting the occasional event.

About this year's programme

Wisely stepping back from last year's unconvincing attempt at a "theme", artistic director Hannah McGill has delivered a classically eclectic programme, spanning myriad genres and an incredible 29 countries.  As always, the 142 featured films are all UK premieres, with 15 making their world debut at Edinburgh.

At time of writing, the printed programme's a little hard to get hold of: you should be able to pick one up at the Filmhouse on Lothian Road, but it's not yet made its way out to all the city's cinemas.  Never mind, though - the full list is up on the Film Festival website, where the Advanced Search option is perfect if you already know which countries or categories appeal to you.  If that's a bit too daunting, you could start from the Festival's own list of highlights, or have a whirl on the splendidly-named Suggest-O-Tron - which asks you to pick a film you know you like, before suggesting a few similar options from this year's programme.

Once you've made your picks, you can also book on the website.  But if you prefer the personal touch, make your way to the commendably efficient box office at the Filmhouse.

If you're a veteran of previous Film Festivals, be warned - this year, the box office at Cineworld won't open until the Festival begins.