Austrian filmmakers will meet their counterparts from neighbouring Slovenia for the first time, at an industry get-together on March 28 during the Diagonale - Festival of Austrian Cinema, which started yesterday.

While representatives from the Austrian Film Instiute (OFI), Slovenian Film Fund and broadcasters ORF and RTV-Slovenija will discuss the policy measures needed for cross-border cooperation, officials from the Vienna Film Fund, Location Austria, Slovenia's Ministry for Culture and the two countries' Eurimage representatives will look at Austria and Slovenia's positioning in the European market.

This year's Diagonale opened on March 24 with the screening of Nina Kusturica's Auswege, one of 64 premieres of new Austrian films including Valentin Hinz's Kaltfront, Michael Pfeifenberger's 011 Beograd, Franz Novotny's YU, Niki List's Move! and Reinhard Jud's Weg In Den Sueden.

On March 29, almost Euros 50,000 in prize-money will be awarded to films in categories including Best Austrian Film of the Year, the Best Animation/ Avantgarde/ Short Film or Video, Innovative Achievement of an Austrian Producer for a Current Feature Film, and Best Austrian Documentary or Short Feature.