UK director Julian Richards' coming of age drama Summer Scars and Stephan Geene's Berlin-set drama After Effect are among the world premieres at this year's Oldenburg International Film Festival which will open with Maggie Peren's comedy Stellungswechsel about a male escort agency on September 12.

The festival, which has built up an international reputation as a home from home for independent cinema, will be presenting the international premieres of such films as Frank A. Cappello's He Was A Quiet Man, with Christian Slater and William H. Macy, actress Mary Stuart Masterson's directorial debut The Cake Eaters, Mickey Blaine's thriller Commit and two new UK productions: Dominic Lees' Outlanders and Marc James & Phil O'Shea's Vampire Diary.

This year's retrospective will be dedicated to the maverick filmmaker Abel Ferrara who will be visiting Oldenburg, while a four-film tribute will be staged in honour of veteran actor Stacy Keach who is serving as president of the jury for the German Independence Award - Best German Film.

UK film critic Brad Stevens, US producer Jen Gatien, Luxembourg producer Paul Thiltges and director Kevin DiNovis will join Keach in deciding on the winner from the five nominated films: Jakob M. Erwa's Heile Welt, Hans Steinbichler's Autistic Disco, Jan-Hinrik Drews' Underdogs, Pia Marais' The Unpolished, and Ben & Dominik Reding's Fuer Den Unbekannten Hund.

This edition of the festival will close on September 16 with the international premiere of Michael Polish's The Astronaut Farmer, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen.

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