CPH:PIX, the new festival combining the NatFilm Festival and the Copenhagen International Film Festival, will run for the first time in Copenhagen from April 16-26, 2009.

The new festival will also have a competition.

Screen International veteran Jacob Neiiendam, who had been head of programming at the Copenhagen International Film Festival since 2005, will serve as the merged event's Festival Director.

Niels Lind Larsen who had been NatFilm's Head of Programming since 2006, will be CPH:PIX's Head Of Programming.

Andreas Steinmann, also a NatFilm veteran, will be the festival's Producer and will be responsible for the overall planning of all three of the organisation's festivals.

Mikkel Harder serves as Managing Director of the newly formed festival organisation Copenhagen Film Festivals as of April 2008 after working at the Royal Danish Theatre and Danmarks Radio.

Copenhagen Film Festivals will organise CPH:PIX, Buster, the September youth film festival (run by Fusun Eriksen), and CPH:DOX, the November documentary event (run by Tine Fischer).

Also, the group will host CPH Film Market, which replaces Copenhagen Screenings and is slated for Sept 25-27. That event is for invited guests only.

'CPH:PIX will focus on new talents and artistic bravery, both in the festival's film program and in its collaborations across artistic genres and cultural institutions,' organisers said in a statement. The programmers will work across genres and international territories.