Theinternational premiere of Ocean's Twelve will open the inaugural Bahamas International Film Festival(BIFF) on Dec 9.

Steven Soderbergh's picturestars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and CatherineZeta-Jones, among others, and opens in the US through Warner Bros on Dec 10.

"It's an honourfor both the festival and the nation to have an opportunity to present aninternational premiere by such a distinguished filmmaker," executive directorLeslie Vanderpool said in a statement.

75 pictures from24 countries will play at the festival, including Joseph Cedar's Israelisettlement picture Campfire, Rodney Evans's Harlem Renaissance feature Brother To Brother and Jacob Aaron Estes' youth drama MeanCreek in theInternational Competition.

Documentariesinclude Michelle Mason's Vietnam story Friendship Village, and Jim Butterworth,Aaron Lubarsky and Lisa Sleeth's US feature Seoul Train, about North Korean fugitives.

Festivalhighlights include New Visions and World Cinema strands, a Caribbean sidebarand special screenings. The festival is scheduled to run from Dec 9-12.