The fourth Northern LightsFilm Festival (Nov 16-23), which is held in Newcastle and surrounding towns and celebrates Nordic andBaltic film, will host more than 80 screenings.

The festival will show filmsfrom 12 Northern European countries as well as retrospectives and specialscreenings, workshops, and more.

The festival's third andexpanded Industry Summit will run Nov 17-18, with networking events, talks,screenings and a live pitch session. During the Industry Summit, the winner ofthe lucrative $75,000 (£40,000) Orange North Star Short Film Award will beannounced.

The Industry Summit, whichlast year attracted experts such as Julia Short of Verve Pictures, Nick Manziof Redbus Pictures, Michael Kuhn of Qwerty Films, and Emma Clarke of the UKFilm Council's New Cinema Fund, is aimed at emerging and establishedfilm-makers. "The Summit will explore production, financing, distribution andmarketing of low-budget film," noted festival director Stephanie Little.

The new films screened willinclude Klaus Haro's Mother Of Mine,Susanne Bier's After The Wedding,Philip Groning's Into Great Slence,Thomas Balmees' A Decent Factory,Christopher Boe's Allegro, PhieAmbo's Gambler, Polish-themed shortfilm compilation Solidarity, Solidarity,Dani Levy's Go For Zucker!, PernilleFisher Christensen's A Soap, PaulAndrew Williams' London To Brighton,Adam Guzinski's A Boy On A GallopingHorse, Per Fly's Manslaughter,Jasmila Zbanic's Esma's Secret (Grbavica)and Reza Bagher's Popular Drama.

Special programmes willinclude a focus on experimental animator Norman McLaren, a strand of filmsexploring the politics of the punk movement and a tribute to the Finnishcartoonist and illustrator Tove Jansson.

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