Theworld premiere of Philip Haas' Iraq-set thriller The Situation will open the 14th Annual Hamptons International FilmFestival, which runs from Oct 18-22.

TheSituation centres on an Americanjournalist covering the conflict in Iraq whose life becomes endangered aftershe gets personally involved in a story. Connie Nielsen and Damian Lewis star.

ShadowDistribution will release the picture domestically in early 2007. For moredetails on the festival, see www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.