The 29th annualSao Paulo International Film Festival will kick off on Oct 21 with GeorgeClooney's Good Night, And Good Luckand close with the restored version of The Battleship Potemkin accompanied by the local Jazz Symphonic Orchestra onNov 3.

Some 350 films from morethan 50 countries will screen at the event which will pay tribute to RobertoRossellini, Sweden's Victor Sjostrom and Portugal's Manoel de Oliveira, as wellas screening Isabella Rossellini's short film tribute to her father My DadIs 100 Years Old directed by GuyMaddin and de Oliveira's latest film Magic Mirror. The 97 year-old director, who is the oldest workingfilm-maker in the world, will also attend the festival for the screening andtribute.

Highlights from the programmeof features include Wong Kar-wai's 2046, Ugo Giorgetti's Pizza, MichaelHaneke's Cache, Neil Jordan's Breakfaston Pluto, Lucia Murat's OlharEstrangeiro, Wim Wenders' Don'tCome Knockin, Roman Polanski's OliverTwist and the portmanteau film Allthe Invisible Children.

The competitionsection features films by new directors all eligible for the Bandeira Paulistaaward. Sponsor Bombril also launches a cash prize scheme this year forBrazilian films including R$25,000 to the best fiction feature and R$15,000 tothe best documentary.