August
15 Toronto Film Festival: Final International Line-up

China

BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong Gala Presentation

THE SUN ALSO RISES Jiang Wen, China Special Presentations

Czech Republic

EMPTIES Jan Svěrák, Czech Republic Contemporary World Cinema

Denmark

ERIK NIETZSCHE THE EARLY YEARS Jacob Thuesen, Denmark Contemporary World Cinema

JUST LIKE HOME Lone Scherfig, Denmark Contemporary World Cinema

Egypt

CHAOS Youssef Chahine and Youssef Khaled, Egypt/France Masters

France

ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium Special Presentations

CHACUN SON CINÉMA Various, France Special Presentations

PERSEPOLIS Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, France Special Presentations

LES AMOURS D'ASTRÉE ET DE CÉLADON Eric Rohmer, France Masters

CHAOS Youssef Chahine and Youssef Khaled, Egypt/France Masters

DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters

LA FILLE COUPÉE EN DEUX Claude Chabrol, France/Germany Masters

AVANT QUE J'OUBLIE Jacques Nolot, France Contemporary World Cinema

THE BAND’S VISIT Eran Kolirin, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

DANS LA VIE Philippe Faucon, France Contemporary World Cinema

L'ENNEMI INTIME Florent Siri, France Contemporary World Cinema

JELLYFISH Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

THE SECRETS Avi Nesher, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

SON OF RAMBOW Garth Jennings, France/UK Contemporary World Cinema

UNE VIEILLE MAÎTRESSE Catherine Breillat, France Contemporary World Cinema

MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

Germany

LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA Special Presentations

MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN Hans Weingartner, Germany/Austria Special Presentations

DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters

LA FILLE COUPÉE EN DEUX Claude Chabrol, France/Germany Masters

IT’S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters

THE COUNTERFEITERS Stefan Ruzowitzky, Austria/Germany Contemporary World Cinema

JAR CITY Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Germany Contemporary World Cinema

MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France Contemporary World Cinema

THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary Contemporary World Cinema

Hong Kong

BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong Gala Presentation

MAD DETECTIVE Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai, Hong Kong Special Presentations

THE EXODUS Pang Ho-cheung, Hong Kong Vanguard

Hungary

THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary Contemporary World Cinema

Iceland

JAR CITY Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Germany Contemporary World Cinema

India

THE LAST LEAR Rituparno Ghosh, India Gala Presentation

FOUR WOMEN Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India Masters

THE VOYEURS Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India Masters

Iran

UNFINISHED STORIES Pourya Azarbayjani, Iran Contemporary World Cinema

Ireland

GARAGE Lenny Abrahamson, Ireland Contemporary World Cinema

KINGS Tom Collins, Ireland/UK Contemporary World Cinema

MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

Israel

DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters

THE BAND’S VISIT Eran Kolirin, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

JELLYFISH Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

THE SECRETS Avi Nesher, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

Italy

DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters

IT’S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters

DAYS AND CLOUDS Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland Contemporary World Cinema

MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France Contemporary World Cinema

L'ORA DI PUNTA Vincenzo Marra, Italy Contemporary World Cinema

L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium Visions

Japan

GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER! Takeshi Kitano, Japan Masters

A GENTLE BREEZE IN THE VILLAGE Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan Contemporary World Cinema

SAD VACATION Aoyama Shinji, Japan Vanguard

Kazakhstan

MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

Luxembourg

L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium Visions

Republic of Macedonia

SHADOWS Milcho Manchevski, Republic of Macedonia Special Presentations

Mongolia

MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

Netherlands

WOLFSBERGEN Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands Contemporary World Cinema

Norway

GONE WITH THE WOMAN Petter Næss, Norway Contemporary World Cinema

Philippines

PHILIPPINE SCIENCE Auraeus Solito, Philippines Contemporary World Cinema

SLINGSHOT Brillante Mendoza, Philippines Contemporary World Cinema

Portugal

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal Masters

Romania

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS) Cristian Nemescu, Romania Contemporary World Cinema

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS Cristian Mungiu, Romania Visions

Russia

MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

Serbia

THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary Contemporary World Cinema

South Korea

BEYOND THE YEARS Im Kwon-taek, South Korea Masters

HAPPINESS Hur Jin-ho, South Korea Contemporary World Cinema

Spain

FADOS Carlos Saura, Spain Masters

IT’S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters

CHAOTIC ANA Julio Medem, Spain Special Presentations

BARCELONA (A MAP) Ventura Pons, Spain Contemporary World Cinema

Sweden

TO LOVE SOMEONE Åke Sandgren, Sweden Contemporary World Cinema

Switzerland

DAYS AND CLOUDS Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland Contemporary World Cinema

Taiwan

BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong Gala Presentation

LUST, CAUTION Ang Lee, Taiwan Special Presentations

United Kingdom

ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium Special Presentations

IT’S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters

BATTLE FOR HADITHA Nick Broomfield, UK Contemporary World Cinema

BRICK LANE Sarah Gavron, UK Contemporary World Cinema

KINGS Tom Collins, Ireland/UK Contemporary World Cinema

RUN, FAT BOY, RUN David Schwimmer, UK Contemporary World Cinema

SON OF RAMBOW Garth Jennings, France/UK Contemporary World Cinema

BOY A John Crowley, UK Vanguard

MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

Uruguay

THE POPE'S TOILET Enrique Fernandes and César Charlone, Uruguay Contemporary World Cinema

USA

LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA Special Presentations

CHOP SHOP Ramin Bahrani, USA Contemporary World Cinema

KING OF CALIFORNIA Mike Cahill, USA Contemporary World Cinema

STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING Andrew Wagner, USA Contemporary World Cinema

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE Frank Whaley, USA Contemporary World Cinema

MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

SMILEY FACE Gregg Araki, USA Vanguard

WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP James Spooner, USA Vanguard

Here's the rest of the press release:

Toronto – Since its inception, the Toronto International Film Festival has been committed to bringing audiences the best cinema from around the world. With 73 titles announced today, the Festival furthers its role as a significant platform for international filmmakers, offering TIFF audiences a panorama of artistic and cultural viewpoints to choose from. These titles – many screening for the first time in front of international industry and media delegates – feature some of the powerhouses of the film world.

Today’s major announcements include: Gala Presentations of Alexi Tan's BLOOD BROTHERS, and Rituparno Ghosh's THE LAST LEAR; Special Presentations of Julio Medem's CHAOTIC ANA, Jan Schütte's LOVE COMES LATELY, Ang Lee's LUST, CAUTION, Sergei Bodrov's MONGOL, Hans Weingartner's RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN, Milcho Manchevski's SHADOWS, and Cannes Festival favourite CHACUN SON CINÉMA. Masters highlights include Manoel de Oliveira's CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA, Amos Gitai's DÉSENGAGEMENT, Adoor Gopalakrishnan's FOUR WOMEN, Ken Loach's IT’S A FREE WORLD, Hector Babenco's THE PAST, and Buddhadeb Dasgupta's THE VOYEURS. Contemporary World Cinema – dedicated to shining a light on international voices – includes Ventura Pons' BARCELONA (A MAP), Nick Broomfield's BATTLE FOR HADITHA, Sarah Gavron's BRICK LANE, Philippe Faucon's DANS LA VIE, Nobuhiro Yamashita's A GENTLE BREEZE IN THE VILLAGE, Petter Næss' GONE WITH THE WOMAN, Hur Jin-ho's HAPPINESS, Lone Scherfig's JUST LIKE HOME, Auraeus Solito's PHILIPPINE SCIENCE, and Åke Sandgren's TO LOVE SOMEONE. Joining Visions is Cristian Mungiu's Palme d'Or winner 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, and joining previously announced Vanguard titles are BOY A by John Crowley and James Spooner's WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP. The 32nd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 6 – 15, 2007. Ticket Passes and Packages now on sale. Gala tickets and Visa Screening Room tickets on sale August 25. For more information, please visit tiff07.ca or call 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM.

“Our commitment to promoting international voices has never been stronger,” said Noah Cowan, Co-Director for the Toronto International Film Festival. “As seen by this year’s titles from around the world, the global industry is thriving and we are proud to have these filmmakers present their work at TIFF, often as world premieres. Not only does this international presence speak to the diversity of the city of Toronto, but in seeing ourselves reflected in films from other countries, we see how the art of filmmaking unites us all.”

“The reputation of the Festival has become such that our international delegates come to TIFF because they know that the best in world cinema can be found here,” said Giulia Filippelli, Head of the Sales and Industry Office. “This year we are poised to see more business happen around international films than ever before. The city of Toronto is the perfect backdrop to reflect the international scope and vibrant activity we anticipate.”

Gala Presentations

BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong

Shanghai in the 1930s was a city at its prime – no other place in the world could match its glamour, excitement, sensuality, and potential. Kang (Liu Ye), Fung (Daniel Wu) and Xiao Hu (Tony Yang), three innocent young men, have arrived in this "paradise" in search of a better future, finding instead that life is cheap and violence omnipresent. As time goes by, and in a multitude of ways, each is forced into a life of crime. Kang, the most ambitious of the three, falls victim to his quest for power. Fung, previously content with his simple village life, is thrust into a world of violence where he sees his heroic side emerge. Xiao Hu, the most innocent, blindly admires and follows his brother Kang, even as this new world pulls him down. Unable to cope with his fears and weaknesses, Xiao Hu must choose between the two people closest to him. Against this backdrop of decadence, life takes a difficult turn when a forbidden love affair is exposed and everyone is forced to make hard choices. The feature directorial debut from filmmaker Alexi Tan, the film also stars Chang Chen, Shu Qi, Sun Honglei and Lulu Li. Produced by John Woo and Terence Chang, BLOOD BROTHERS is a production of Hong Kong's Lion Rock Productions.

THE LAST LEAR Rituparno Ghosh, India

Amitabh Bachchan, one of the world's most worshipped movie stars, takes on his first-ever leading role in English as part of a career spanning over four decades. Veteran theatre actor Harish Mishra (Bachchan) is gravely ill, having slipped into a coma as the result of an accident during a film shoot – his first after years as a headliner on the stage. While his co-star Shabnam (Preity Zinta) is consumed with worry, their director Siddharth (Arjun Rampal) keeps a cold distance, refusing to visit the ailing star. What is it that has brought them all to this tragic point? In a flashback, their story emerges. Wooed out of retirement by the impatient young filmmaker, Harish leaves the perch of his study – where he rages against the modern world – and joins the cast and crew on location for the shoot, where he quickly takes up position as the outsider of the group. Proclaiming the superiority of Shakespeare over anything that cinema can create, Harish holds strong to his belief that theatre trumps film on any given day. From the master of Bengali cinema Rituparno Ghosh, the film also stars Shefali Shah and Jisshu Sengupta. Produced by Arindam Chaudhuri, THE LAST LEAR is a Planman Motion Pictures production.

Special Presentations

ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium

England, 1905. Angel Deverell is a gifted young writer who dreams of success, fame and love. But what will happen if all her dreams come true? From acclaimed filmmaker François Ozon, ANGEL stars Romola Garai, Lucy Russel, Michael Fassbender, Sam Neill and Charlotte Rampling.

CHACUN SON CINÉMA Various, France

The Toronto International Film Festival is honoured to be showing this Cannes Film Festival favourite. More than 30 of the most distinguished contemporary filmmakers – including Canadians David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan as well as David Lynch, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Roman Polanski, Gus Van Sant, Lars von Trier, and Wong Kar Wai – celebrate the 60th anniversary of Cannes with short films inspired by the cinephile’s place of worship: the movie theatre.

CHAOTIC ANA Julio Medem, Spain

Ana's existence seems to be a continuation of the lives of other young women, all of whom died tragically at the age of 22. Doomed to a chaotic fate, Ana must co-exist with these young women as they continue to live on in the abyss of her unconscious memory. From filmmaker Julio Medem (SEX AND LUCIA), the film stars Manuela Vellés, Bebe, Charlotte Rampling, Asier Newman and Nicolas Cazalé.

LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA

Though approaching his 80s, Max shows no signs of slowing down. He pursues his love life – both real and imagined – with youthful vigour, thereby risking his relationship to Reisel, the woman he loves but neglects. Based on the stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer, LOVE COMES LATELY is a film about real and imagined longings, the never ending dream of love, and the power of fiction. Starring Otto Tausig, Rhea Perlman, Tovah Feldshuh and Barbara Hershey.

LUST, CAUTION Ang Lee, Taiwan

Following his Academy Award™ win for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, Ang Lee returns with an erotic espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai, in which a young woman (Tang Wei) gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure (Tony Leung, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE). Also starring Chui Wai, Joan Chen and Wang Leehom.

MAD DETECTIVE Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai, Hong Kong

A missing police pistol is connected to a series of recent heists and murders. Its owner, Wong, vanished while pursuing suspects in the mountains, yet his partner, Chi-Wai, miraculously returned unharmed. Hotshot inspector Ho (Andy On) is in charge of the investigation, but Ho knows his only chance of cracking the case lies in enlisting the help of Bun (Lau Ching Wan), the reclusive yet gifted mad detective.

MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia

Commanding and celebrated Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano stars as the historic icon Genghis Khan. Directed by Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains, The Nomad), MONGOL is the epic story of a young Khan and how events in his early life lead him to become the legendary conqueror and father of Mongolia.

PERSEPOLIS Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, France

Based on the graphic novels by co-director Marjane Satrapi, this animated film – winner of the Cannes Jury Prize for 2007 – tells of a young girl coming of age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and features the vocal talents of Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni.

RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN Hans Weingartner, Germany/Austria

In the latest feature from acclaimed filmmaker Hans Weingartner (THE EDUKATORS), TV producer Rainer (Moritz Bleibtreu) is always high on cocaine and, as a result, develops shows of the most stupid and vulgar nature, exploiting anyone and anything for the sake of ratings. After being forced to realize the errors of his ways, Rainer decides to change his life, embarking on a guerrilla campaign against the entertainment industry.

SHADOWS Milcho Manchevski, Republic of Macedonia

Although hospital physician Lucky seems to have it all – a beautiful wife, lovely child, good job – he is always struggling to live up to the expectations of others while living in the shadow of his hotshot physician mother. But after he is involved in a car crash and mysteriously saved from certain death, Lucky's life dramatically begins to change.

THE SUN ALSO RISES Jiang Wen, China

Shot in the terraced hills of China’s Yunnan province and the sweeping plains of the Gobi Desert, the film juggles several timelines, offering insight into the mysterious forces that make people cross paths and, without realizing it, shape each other’s destinies. Director Jiang Wen (DEVILS ON THE DOORSTEP) stars alongside Joan Chen, Anthony Wong and Jaycee Chan.

Masters

LES AMOURS D'ASTRÉE ET DE CÉLADON Eric Rohmer, France

A shepherd named Céladon (Andy Gillet) journeys through crazed love and despair via idyllic glades, craggy hills, nymphs and delicious temptation for his beloved Astrée (Stéphanie Crayencour) in this first film adaptation of Honoré d'Urfé's baroque love story L'Astrée.

BEYOND THE YEARS Im Kwon-taek, South Korea

A former pansori drummer rediscovers both his abandoned past and step-sibling. Together or separate, they part and reunite, unable to sever the invisible tie of their unspoken true love for each other. BEYOND THE YEARS, the 100th film in director Im Kwon-taek's highly prolific career, features the music of pianist Kunihiko Ryo.

CHAOS Youssef Chahine and Youssef Khaled, Egypt/France

Nour is the only person who stands up to Hatem, a brash and loathsome police officer who rules his Cairo neighborhood with an iron fist. But when he finds out that Nour is secretly in love with a deputy public prosecutor, Hatem turns envious and Nour's life becomes a nightmare.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal

After more than sixty years and multiple trips between Portugal and America, a researcher named Manuel Luciano is about to discover the true identity of Christopher Columbus and unveil the mystery of the world famous explorer. The film is inspired by the book Christopher Columbus was Portuguese by Manuel Luciano da Silva and Silvia Jorge de Silva.

DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy

After Ana (Juliette Binoche) is reunited with her estranged Israeli stepbrother Uli (Liron Levo), she decides to return to Israel to look for the daughter she gave up at birth. Uli and Ana become tangled in the turmoil and emotion of military-enforced disengagement of Israeli settlers from Gaza in 2005.

FADOS Carlos Saura, Spain

Filmmaker Carlos Saura (TANGO) offers a fascinating trip through the history of fado, one of the oldest forms of urban folk music in the world, tracing its evolution from its very roots to its place in contemporary culture. Featuring performances by Mariza, Carlos do Carmo and other fado legends.

LA FILLE COUPÉE EN DEUX Claude Chabrol, France/Germany

Gabrielle (Ludivine Sagnier) makes a perverse choice between two attractive men – the older, married famous author Charles (François Berléand), and the young, suave and distinguished Paul (Benoît Magimel) – in this superbly caustic, droll, touching and scatological film whose title perfectly describes her – a woman cut in two.

FOUR WOMEN Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India

The lives of a prostitute, a virgin, a housewife and a spinster form stories from four different stratums of society. Starring: Nandita Das, Geetu Mohandas, Padmapriya and Manju Pillai.

GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER! Takeshi Kitano, Japan

Playing himself in the film as a celebrated director, Takeshi Kitano (ZATÔICHI, TAKESHIS') sets out on a quest to produce a box-office hit after publicly announcing his departure from gangster films. After failing to secure financing for his next genre projects, he decides to tell the story of a swindling mother (Kayoko Kishimoto) and her gold-digging daughter (Anne Suzuki) who set their eyes on an honest man, which unpredictably leads to the endangerment of the planet.

IT’S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain

Director Ken Loach (THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY) delivers a sharp and incisive story centred around brash Angie (Kierston Wareing), whose newly opened recruiting agency business explodes when personal ambition rubs up against social ethics.

THE PAST Hector Babenco, Argentina/Brazil

THE PAST follows the twists and turns in the life of Rimini (Gael García Bernal, DÉFICIT). After his divorce, he survives a string of relationships, loses his livelihood as a translator, becomes entangled in a child custody battle, lands in jail and recovers his ability to fall in love.

THE VOYEURS Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India

Yasin (Amitav Bhattacharya) moves to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and lives with Dilip (Prosenjit Chatterjee), who installs surveillance cameras for a living. Dilip pursues a tentative romance with Rekha (Sameera Reddy), a beautiful young dancer who moves in next door, after planting a spy camera above her mirror so that he and Yasin can watch her.

Contemporary World Cinema

AVANT QUE J'OUBLIE Jacques Nolot, France

In the final film of Jacques Nolot's trilogy on aspects of gay life, 58-year-old Pierre (Nolot), who is HIV-positive, finds himself increasingly unable to cope with loneliness and the outside world.

THE BAND’S VISIT Eran Kolirin, Israel/France

A small Egyptian police band is left stranded at the airport in a desolate Israeli town.

BARCELONA (A MAP) Ventura Pons, Spain

Incest, homosexuality and adultery are intertwined in the lives of six characters who come together in an old apartment in the heart of Barcelona.

BATTLE FOR HADITHA Nick Broomfield, UK

Iraqi insurgents bomb a convoy of U.S. Marines, resulting in the death of their most popular officer. Enraged by this loss, the young Marines carry out a brutal retaliation.

BRICK LANE Sarah Gavron, UK

Set against a background of escalating racial tension, Gavron's debut feature sees Nazneen leave her Bangladeshi village for London's East End after an arranged marriage to an older man. Despite feeling homesick and unhappy, Nazneen tries to make the best of her current situation. But ignoring her discontentment proves problematic as a hot-headed local man bursts into her life.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS) Cristian Nemescu, Romania

The first and final feature from late filmmaker Cristian Nemescu focuses on a small Romanian village during the war in Kosovo, where the local railway chief – moonlighting as a gangster – seeks to gain from the stopping of a NATO train carrying military equipment.

CHOP SHOP Ramin Bahrani, USA

In a chaotic world of adults, young street orphan Alejandro struggles to make a better life for himself and his 16-year-old sister.

THE COUNTERFEITERS Stefan Ruzowitzky, Austria/Germany

Berlin, 1936. King of counterfeiters, Sorowitsch gets all the money he needs by printing it himself. But when someone blows the whistle on him, he finds himself in a concentration camp, forced to produce fake foreign currency in hopes of saving his own life.

DANS LA VIE Philippe Faucon, France

Esther, an elderly Jewish woman with a sturdy ill-temper, runs through nursing assistants like nobody's business. But when Sélima, a Muslim woman, comes on board as a possible candidate, the two form a strong and intimate friendship despite their differences.

DAYS AND CLOUDS Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland

Finally primed to fulfill her dream of going back to school, Elsa is floored when she discovers that her husband, Michele, was fired from his job two months ago. As Elsa faces the situation head on, Michele loses control, challenging their already fragile marriage.

EMPTIES Jan Svěrák, Czech Republic

This film is the last in a trilogy from Jan Svěrák (KOLYA) and his father, screenwriter/actor Zdeněk Svěrák. Literature teacher Josef (Zdeněk Svěrák) uncovers the root of his unhappiness when, after retiring against his will, he takes up a part-time job in a supermarket.

L'ENNEMI INTIME Florent Siri, France

Algeria, 1959. After a young, idealistic lieutenant (Benoît Magimel) takes command of an isolated French army outpost, he meets a disillusioned sergeant (Albert Dupontel), with whom he will be tested by the harsh realities of the Algerian War.

ERIK NIETZSCHE THE EARLY YEARS Jacob Thuesen, Denmark

Written by Lars von Trier under the nom-de-plume Erik Nietzsche, this semi-autobiographical film follows an intelligent, inexperienced and shy young man who, convinced that he wants to be a film director, enrols in the Danish National Film School.

FOREVER NEVER ANYWHERE Antonin Svoboda, Austria

After an accident somewhere in the mountains, three men find themselves trapped in their car. Injured, wedged and without any possible escape in sight, they await their rescue. But the sound of sirens may not bring quite the relief they had hoped for.

GARAGE Lenny Abrahamson, Ireland

Josie has spent all his adult life as the caretaker of a crumbling petrol station on the outskirts of an Irish small town. GARAGE is the story of Josie's hapless search for intimacy over the course of a summer which sees his life changed forever.

A GENTLE BREEZE IN THE VILLAGE Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan

Soyo is one of six students in a combined primary and junior high school – the only student in the second year of junior high. When hip transfer student Osawa arrives at the school from Tokyo, a love slowly begins to blossom between Soyo and this new big-city boy.

GONE WITH THE WOMAN Petter Næss, Norway

The latest work by filmmaker Petter Næss (ELLING). Without fully grasping how it comes about, He, a man who does not even have a name, finds his life invaded by a woman. Struggling to tackle the situation, He passes from falling in love to being left behind. But just as He starts to forget her, she abruptly returns.

HAPPINESS Hur Jin-ho, South Korea

A stint in a country hospital finds city boy Young-su living on a farmhouse with a female patient. But when his friends show up for a visit, Young-su begins to wonder if he should abandon his rural surroundings and reclaim his urban lifestyle.

JAR CITY Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Germany

An elderly man is found murdered in his basement flat. When the inspector on the case finds a photo of a young girl's grave, he reopens a very old case, following a trail of unusual forensic evidence to uncover secrets knit into the bloodline of the entire country.

JELLYFISH Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, Israel/France

A woman breaks her leg at her own wedding reception and is forced to cancel her honeymoon. Another woman is followed by a strange little girl who has come out of the sea. A portrait of a messy world in which everyone scrapes by as best they can, JELLYFISH is the winner of Cannes' Camera d'Or for 2007.

JUST LIKE HOME Lone Scherfig, Denmark

When the residents of a small Danish town learn that a man was seen running naked through their streets, depression spreads like wildfire. Convinced that all of Danish society is collapsing around them, they launch a telephone hotline to help combat the situation.

KING OF CALIFORNIA Mike Cahill, USA

A father (Michael Douglas) fresh out of a mental institution, alongside his emancipated teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), heads out on a quest to uncover an ancient Spanish treasure buried beneath the local Costco.

KINGS Tom Collins, Ireland/UK

In the mid-1970s, six young men left their homes in the West of Ireland and sailed across the sea to England. Thirty years later, the death of one reunites the group, forcing them to face up to the alienation they feel as a result of having no real place to call home.

MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France

Fifteen years of Italian history pass by amidst the small-town adventures of Accio (Elio Germano) and Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio), two passionate brothers in a constant battle over politics and the same woman throughout the 60s and 70s.

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE Frank Whaley, USA

From actor-filmmaker Frank Whaley comes the comedic story – set in the mid-90s – of two friends and the series of events that lead to their final farewell. When aspiring filmmaker Owen is invited to a two-bit film festival, he brings along his childhood friend Ray, a drummer in a rock and roll band. Starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Chris Klein.

ON THE WINGS OF DREAMS Golam Rabbany Biplob, Bangladesh

After Fazlu returns home from a day of canvassing in the village market, his wife finds some foreign currency notes in a pair of trousers Fazlu picked up for their son. Thinking these notes to be of great value yet unsure of what to do with them, Fazlu, increasingly allured by greed and high ambitions, sets off with his childhood friend Siraj in hopes of making a profitable exchange.

L'ORA DI PUNTA Vincenzo Marra, Italy

Vincenzo Marra (VENTO DI TERRA, THE SESSION IS OPEN) returns to the Festival with a film about Fillipo, a young man whose new job as a civil servant sees him confidently navigating the shoals of Roman society, rubbing elbows with the high-and-mighty.

PHILIPPINE SCIENCE Auraeus Solito, Philippines

Eight Philippine Science High School students come of age during the politically volatile 80s, a time filled with excitement and fraught with anxiety.

THE POPE'S TOILET Enrique Fernandes and César Charlone, Uruguay

In 1988, the people of Melo are bustling with the news that Pope John Paul II plans to visit their small town, with tens of thousands of visitors expected to follow in his wake. While many make plans to profit off the event, petty smuggler Beto is certain he's found the best business idea of all, a place where the multitude of pilgrims can find relief: "The Pope's Toilet."

RUN, FAT BOY, RUN David Schwimmer, UK

After Dennis (Simon Pegg) discovers that his ex-fiancée has hooked up with high-flying go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria), he enters a marathon in hopes of winning her back, quickly discovering just how much sweat, strain and tears it takes to train for the run. The first feature by actor David Schwimmer, RUN, FAT BOY, RUN is written by Michael Ian Black (THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY).

THE SECRETS Avi Nesher, Israel/France

While attending a Jewish seminary for women in the ancient town of Safed – the birthplace of Kabbalah – two devout religious girls find themselves in the midst of an evolving rebellion against the suffocating patriarchy.

SLINGSHOT Brillante Mendoza, Philippines

An intimate glimpse into the lives of small time crooks in Manila during a simultaneous election period and Holy Week.

SON OF RAMBOW Garth Jennings, France/UK

In this inventive valentine to the 1980s, Will has his mind and world blown wide open when schoolmate Carter (Will Poulter) exposes him to the Rambo film FIRST BLOOD. The budding filmmaking duo grows popular at school but the arrival of a French exchange student pushes their unique friendship and precious film to the breaking point.

STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING Andrew Wagner, USA

An ambitious graduate student convinces a writer that her thesis can resurrect his career. Starring Frank Langelia, Lili Taylor and Lauren Ambrose, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING is based on the novel by Brian Morton.

TO LOVE SOMEONE Åke Sandgren, Sweden

Alf, a fish dealer with his own shop, lives happily with his partner Lena. But their relationship is put to the test when Lena’s ex-husband suddenly reappears.

THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary

Amidst clashes of wealth and corruption in modern day Belgrade, Mladen struggles to pay for his son’s life-saving heart operation. When a man offers to cover the cost in full, Mladen discovers that, in return, he must kill the man’s business rival.

UNFINISHED SKY Peter Duncan, Australia

When Tahmeena, an illegal refugee, stumbles onto John’s isolated farm, he has no choice but to take her in. As they begin to grow closer despite language barriers, a group of men show up in hopes of taking Tahmeena away for good.

UNE VIEILLE MAÎTRESSE Catherine Breillat, France

A future wedding is on everyone’s lips. The young and dissolute Ryno de Marigny is betrothed to marry Hermangarde, a virtuous gem of the French aristocracy. But those who wish to prevent the union, despite the young couples’ mutual love, whisper that the young man will never break off his passionate love affair with Vellini (Asia Argento, THE MOTHER OF TEARS), which has been going on for years.

UNFINISHED STORIES Pourya Azarbayjani, Iran

Having nowhere else to go, three different women are forced to roam the streets of Tehran after being abandoned by the men in their lives.

WOLFSBERGEN Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands

At the age of 83, Konraad informs his relatives that he wants to die. While his only child, Maria, refuses to address the issue, her husband Ernst takes it upon himself to help Konraad fulfill his dying wish.

Visions

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS Cristian Mungiu, Romania

Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, this is the first film in the series Tales from the Golden Age – a subjective history of communism in Romania told through its urban legends – and sees two university roommates in a desperate situation after one becomes pregnant and decides to seek out an illegal abortion.

L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium

Committed to a psychiatric clinic after three suicide attempts, Danielle (Isabelle Huppert) views her daughter as a hostile and intrusive enemy. However, through an analyst's probing, Danielle finally voices the reality of her isolated childhood and the reason behind her self-loathing and hatred of motherhood.

Vanguard

BOY A John Crowley, UK

Jack (Andrew Garfield) has spent most of his young life in juvenile institutions for the murder of another child. He is released into the world, with only his care worker (Peter Mullan) to guide him. Jack is given a new name, a new job, a new home and a new life. But anonymity is both a blessing and a curse as Jack has to contend with keeping his past and the monstrous crime he committed as a minor, from the people he meets.

THE EXODUS Pang Ho-cheung, Hong Kong

Beat cop Jim (Simon Yam) uncovers a secret worldwide network of women conspiring to exterminate men. His investigation is soon thwarted with the organization's infiltration into the police force and soon Jim can no longer trust anyone, including his family.

MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA

Harmony Korine (GUMMO) returns with a story about a lonely Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) in Paris who falls for a Marilyn Monroe look-alike (Samantha Morton, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE) and moves to a commune of impersonators. Meanwhile, in parallel, a miracle happens in a Latin American jungle.

SAD VACATION Aoyama Shinji, Japan

One night, a driver named Kenji (Tadanobu Asano, MONGOL), recognizes one of his passengers as his own mother who abandoned him as an adolescent. As seductively charming as she is loving, Kenji surrenders to dark undercurrents of feeling provoked by inexorable family ties and is forced to face both his past and his future.

SMILEY FACE Gregg Araki, USA

Jane F (Anna Faris), unsuccessful slacker actress, is having a bad day. Her misadventures begin when she treats herself to a batch of cupcakes left unattended by her psycho roommate (Danny Masterson) that prove not as innocent as they appear. Soon she is trying to cross town so she can repay an unforgiving drug dealer (Adam Brody), attend an audition, and somehow replace the precious cupcakes.

WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP James Spooner, USA

This is the first fiction film from the director of the landmark documentary AFRO-PUNK. A successful young black promoter (Ayindé Howell) is fully entrenched in the New York indie-rock world scene. He begins to find that his chosen community, the white rock world, only seems to run smoothly for white rockers. A series of events force him to recognize that his friends exoticize him and are in denial of his blackness.