Munich's International Festival of Film Schools (IFFS) will return this year to its traditional place in November with a new structure intended to make the event more attractive.

After consultation between the festival organiser Internationale Muenchner Filmwochen, Munich's Academy for Television & Film (HFF) and the international association of film schools CILECT, the selection process will be decided by an expert jury instead of the participating film schools themselves.

In addition, the competition will be open to both local German as well as international student films.

This year's edition will only last four days - from November 27-30 - because of the relatively short time available for preparations. From 2004, however, it is planned to stage the event for six days and introduce additional programme elements to foster international co-operation and networking between the students.

From this year, HFF professor Andreas Gruber will serve as the festival's artistic director, succeeding Wolfgang Laengsfeld who had founded the IFFS in 1981.