Director Takeshi Kitano's highly-praised Zatoichi opens the 8th Sofia International Film Festival today.

The festival boasts some 100 features, 10 documentaries and 60 shorts as well as a feature competition comprising 14 titles including Karlovy Vary audience favourite, Buddy, Camera D'Or winner, Reconstruction, Locarno award winner, Maria and 16 Years Of Alcohol.

The festival will also screen a selection of films from Bulgaria and the Balkan region, of which seven films will have their world premieres while the others have international or European premieres. The selection includes Bulgaria's Oscar entry for this year's awards, director Ivan Nichev's Journey To Jerusalem.

The festival's website (in English) can be found HERE