German documentariesare particularly strong at this year's International HofFilm Days (October 26-30) including world premieres of new films about musicianJohn Cale, a 'behind the scenes' look atthe casting couch in Hollywood, and thelegendary 1940s screenwriter 'Buzz' Bezzerides.

Joerg Bundschuh's documentaryabout John Cale, ToTulsa And Back, is the first portrait ever made about the media-shymusician's life and career, while Veit Helmer follows casting director ZoraDeHorter on her work for a new film project in Behind The Couch - Casting In Hollywood,and Spiro Taraviras' Buzz looks back at the man whom Francois Truffautcalled the first screenwriter of film noir.

In addition, the Hof lineup will include StanislawMucha's latest documentary Reality Shock about the mood in Central and Eastern Europe afterthe EU enlargement last year and directing duo ChristianeVoss and Katja Dringenberg'sstudy of the place of love and romanticism in today's world in Ich Dich Auch.

But the local fictionfilms also look just as promising this year with new films by Eoin Moore (Im Schwitzkasten),Till Endemann (Kometen), Sabine Michel (Nimm Dir Dein Leben) and the feature debut by AelrunGoette (Unter Dem Eis) who made such an impression in Hoftwo years ago with her documentary DieKinder Sind Tot about a child abuse case inFrankfurt/Oder.

Hof will also serve as the platform for German premieresof such international films as Patrice Chereau's Gabrielle, Michael Caton-Jones'Shooting Dogs, DominikMoll's Cannes opener Lemming, James Toback's When Will IBe Loved, and Atom Agoyan's Where The Truth Lies, while the Film Days' retrospective will bededicated to the veteran Greek-born director ConstantinCosta-Gavras.