Ep224: EIFF live – Molly Manners & Sophie Heldman on EXTRA GEOGRAPHY & THE EDUCATION OF JANE CUMMING

This episode was recorded live with an audience at Monkey Barrel as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2026, where host Anna Smith welcomed two directors whose films are both set at girls’ boarding school, though the stories they tell could hardly be more different. Anna's first guest is Molly Manners, director of EXTRA GEOGRAPHY, a hit at Sundance which received its UK premiere at EIFF in a screening presented in partnership with Girls On Film. Manners is also known for the BAFTA-winning TV series ONE DAY. She talks about her route into directing, how she recognises a good take, the leap from television to film, and the pull toward working with women collaborators, including EXTRA GEOGRAPHY writer Miriam Battye and producer Sarah Brocklehurst, both previous guests on the show. EXTRA GEOGRAPHY stars Marni Duggan, Galaxie Clear and Alice Englert. Anna's second guest is Sophie Heldman, director of THE EDUCATION OF JANE CUMMING, presented at EIFF in partnership with Reclaim The Frame. Set in Edinburgh, the film explores sexuality and prejudice in ways that prove strikingly relevant to the present day. Heldman discusses the story's origins, working with an all-women crew, and filming in Edinburgh. THE EDUCATION OF JANE CUMMING stars Clare Dunne, Flora Nicholson, Mia Tharia and Fiona Shaw. Together with Anna, Molly and Sophie compare notes on why the intensity of boarding school life lends itself so well to drama, and share their own favourite films from the genre. Where to watch EXTRA GEOGRAPHY opens in UK cinemas on 2 October. THE EDUCATION OF JANE CUMMING opens in UK cinemas early in 2027. More from EIFF Anna's picks from this year's festival: COMING HOME, the classic starring Jane Fonda PRETTY BABIES, the directorial debut of Tyler-Marie Evans, exploring sex work and exploitation with a mostly female cast SNAPSHOT, on a Victorian, all-female ghost-hunting society taking on misinformation and fake news Stay in touch: Subscribe to the newsletter at GirlsOnFilm.org.uk for film recommendations, updates and invites to special events. For partnership enquiries, email [email protected]. Details on joining our Patreon are in the show notes. Tune in soon for our new episode from Latitude Festival 2026. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA Agency production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Producers: Nicki Glossop & Hedda Lornie Archbold Audio Editor: Alex Jones Social Media Producers: Dr Jade Evans and Ruby Rose Bradshaw Intern: Lucy Johnson Principal Partners: Peter Brewer and Vanessa Smith This episode is in partnership with Edinburgh International Film Festival. © HLA Agency