Walt Disney Co-Pixar animation title Monsters Inc (pictured), Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater World War II picture Windtalkers, Steve Martin comedy Novocaine and Sandra Goldbacher's Venice title Me Without You are amongst the gala screenings at November's London Film Festival.

Fred Schepisi's Last Orders, which has an ensemble UK cast of Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings and Ray Winstone, will be the British gala film. Other gala screenings go to Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now Redux and Jan Sverak's Dark Blue World.

Walt Disney Co and Pixar's Monsters Inc continues the precedent set by Shrek at Cannes, being the first animation title to screen at London as a gala screening. Jean-Luc Godard's Eloge De L'Amour is the French gala.

Talent to attend the festival's 45th edition includes Bruce Willis, Peter Fonda, Ed Harris, Isabelle Huppert, Pixar's John Lasseter and Martin Sheen. Lasseter will host an animation masterclass with Pixar's Pete Docter.

Other high-profile slots at the festival include the Film On The Square stand which boasts Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton in Barry Levinson's Bandits, Larry Clark's Bully, David Mamet's Heist and Mike Figgis' Hotel. The New British Cinema section includes Asif Kapadia's The Warrior, while highlights from the festival circuit include Nanni Moretti's Palme d'Or-winner The Son's Room and Mira Nair's Venice champ Monsoon Wedding.

Traditionally an event for the public, the festival may also move to coincide with the pre-Mifed screenings in London in October. UK film support body the Film Council, the parent of the festival, is commissioning research into the benefits of linking the two events and is to canvass the industry.

"The question is, would it be to the advantage of the London Screenings and the LFF'" said festival director Adrian Wootton. "I don't think we have answered that yet."

The festival, which runs November 7-22, has traditionally been lukewarm about such a move, which would take it closer to Toronto, Venice and San Sebastian and possibly raise competition for films.

"I want some clear recommendations to see if it's in the best interests of the festival," Wootton said. "Distributors think that November is a good time - would that be the same if we moved to October'"

The festival opens with the world premiere of Robert Altman's Gosford Park and closes with the European premiere of Iain Softley's K-PAX.