The ThessalonikiInternational Film Festival has unveiled today its full line-up for this year'sevent (Nov 18-27).

The festival celebratesits 46th anniversary with an all-time record number of 255 filmsrepresenting 42 nations.

The event, the firstunder the new team of president George Corraface and director Despina Mouzaki, promises to bethe most star-studded ever, while its various sections remain roughly the sameas before - though an increased boost will be given to the market andco-productions initiatives.

The opening film will be DanisTanovic's Hell,starring Emmanuelle Beart and Carole Bouquet. Tanovic andproducer Cedomir Colar will beattending.

The 14-title competition section, reservedfor first and second films, includes Perry Ogden's Pavee Lackeen(Ireland), Ming-Tai Wang's Falling'inLove (Taiwan), Ramin Bahrani'sMan Push Cart (USA), Amat Escalante's Sangre (Mexico), Emmanuelle Bercot'sBackstage (France) and Roland Vranik's Black Brush (Hungary).

Presidentof the international jury, which awards the Golden and Silver Alexander, is cinematographer VittorioStoraro.

He is joinedby Frenchactress Natacha Regnier, German producer Ulrich Felsberg, Americandirector Lodge Kerrigan, Bourkina Fasso-French actorFasso-Sotigui Kouyate, Mexican film critic Leonardo GarciaTsao and Greek director Antoinetta Angelidi.

Other highlights include:

* An 18-title homage to Mexican cinema

* An exhibition, Hollywood Maverick, featuring Oscar-winning art director Dean Tavoularis

* Retrospectives on Patrice Chereau, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Michael Winterbottom and Nico Papatakis.

* A new section, Independence Days, replacing Dimitris Eipides's traditional New Horizons section.

* The 11th Balkan survey section

* The Greek Panorama section, this year featuring 27 films (many of which are world premieres), as well as tributes to local film-makers

For the fourthconsecutive year there will also be a section to promote Greek film-making to attendingforeign film executives, sellers, buyers and delegates.

Among executivesattending are The Weinstein Company acquisitionsmanager Ben Friedman, Celluloid Dreams' Tanja Meissner, EFP president Claudia Landsbergerand Ibermedia and Cinemart'sJorge Sanchez.

The Italian-produced portmanteau pieceAll The Invisible Children willclose the festival on Sunday, Nov 27. Members of the directorial team (Jordan & Ridley Scott, Emir Kusturica, Stefano Veneruso, JohnWoo, Spike Lee, Mehdi Charef,Katia Lund) are expected to attend.