Three Russian titles feature in this year's Moscow International Film Festival competition line-up, after last year's total lack of any local films in competition at all.

The Festival, which runs June 21-30, this week unveiled its competition programme of sixteen feature films including, Alexander Rogozhkin's Cuckoo, Roman Pregunov's Solitude Of Blood and the Russian/Ukrainian co-production Chekhov's Motives by Kira Muratova.

The selection committee seemed determined to make up for last year when it came under heavy criticism for excluding domestic productions in the competition. Heart Of The Bear directed by Estonia's Arvo Iho is also a Russian, Czech and German co-production.

Indeed, there is a decidedly eastward-looking flavour to the 2002 event with films from the Czech Republic, Poland, Yugoslavia, Iran and Japan competing. The festival will open with Francois Ozon's 8 Femmes and close with Brian Di Palma's Femme Fatale.

No celebrity guests have been named yet but last year's festival was attended by Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn and Woody Harrelson.

2002 Moscow International Film Festival Competition line-up
Virtual Reality - Ratiborke Cheramilac. Serbia and Montenegro (Yugoslavia)
Resurrection - Paolo and Vittorio Tavianni. Italy/France
Shake It All About - Hella Joof. Denmark/Germany
The House On Turk Street - Bob Rafaelson. USA/Canada/Germany
Wishes Of The Land - Vahid Musayan.; Iran
Cuckoo - Alexander Rogozhkin. Russia
Stripping - Saara Saarela. Finland
Solitude Of Blood - Roman Pregunov. Russia
Everyman Fest - Fritz Lener. Austria
Supplement - Krzysztof Zanussi. Poland
The Damned - Dan Svatek. Czechia
The 7th Sun Of Love - Vangelis Serdaric. Greece
Heart Of The Bear - Irvo Iho. Estonia/Russia/Germany/Czechia
Blue - Hirosi Aido. Japan
Hidden Life - Suzanna Amaral. Brazil
Chekhov's Motives - Kira Muratova. Russia/Ukraine