Alfonso Cuaron, currently enjoying a major US specialized hit with Y Tu Mama Tambien, will serve as guest director for the 2002 IFP Los Angeles Film Festival which this year has moved to June (dates are June 20-29), started an international section and scored a host of new sponsorship deals.

In this newly created role, Cuaron will host a two-day film-maker retreat, programme a sidebar of films that have inspired his own work and attend the opening night festivities. IFP/Los Angeles, headed by Dawn Hudson, took over the film festival last year and has expanded the festival's size as well as hiring Rachel Rosen, formerly of the San Francisco International Film Festival, as director of programming. She joins festival director Rich Raddon.

Films which have had their world premieres at the festival, formerly known as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, include Kissing Jessica Stein, George Washington, The Chateau and The Cruise.