180 international buyers from 30 countries are expected inLondon at the end of the month for the inaugural UK Film Focus.

24 films will be screening at the event, held atLondon's National Film Theatre, it was confirmed late last week.

There are eight world premieres, among them ShaneMeadows' Dead Man's Shoes(controversially overlooked by Cannes), Istvan Szabo's BeingJulia and Danny Boyle's Millions. The event will be launched on June 29th with a galascreening of Charles Dance's Ladies In Lavender, starring Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and DanielBruehl.

The Film Focus is modelled along similar lines toUnifrance's Paris screenings and is costing around £250,000 tostage. It is being organised by Film London in conjunction with the UK FilmCouncil and Film Export UK. London mayor Ken Livingstone is pumping£60,000 into the event through the London Development Agency. The UK FilmCouncil is investing a similar amount

The idea is for a concentrated and tightly focused event atwhich the emphasis will be firmly on the 24 films screening. Press will be keptout. Contrary to earlier reports, there will not be a video library. Theinvited buyers are being provided with accommodation at the Marriott Hotel onthe South Bank.

Some observers have questioned the wisdom of holding theevent so soon after Cannes. The organisers insist that the late June slot wasthe best available in what is an increasingly crowded calendar for markets.

"We looked very hard at the calendar'everybodyagreed that this was the best possible window - after Cannes and beforeyou get into the cycle beginning with Venice and Toronto and leading into Mifedand the AFM," Film London's Adrian Wootton told ScreenDaily.com.

Titles which were initially expected to screen in London but are being held over, either because they're not ready or are likely to be unveiled at festivals later in the year, include Roger Michell's Enduring Love, Pawel Pawlikowski's My Summer Of Love and Gurinder Chadha's Bride And Prejudice.

The following eight titles will premiere at the London UKFilm Focus:
Being Julia
A period dramadirected by Istvan Szabo
Main Cast: Annette Benning, Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson

Churchill, The Hollywood Years
A comedy by PeterRichardson
Main Cast: Christian Slater, Neve Campbell, Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer

Cold & Dark
A detective horrorfilm by Andrew Goth
Main Cast: Luke Goss, Kevin Howarth, Carly Turnbull, Matt Lucas

Dead Man's Shoes
Drama by ShaneMeadows
Main Cast: Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell, Gary Stretch

Ladies in Lavender
A period drama anddirectorial debut by Charles Dances
Main Cast: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Daniel Bruhl

Man About Dog
A comedy drama byPaddy Breathnach
Main Cast: Allen Leech, Tom Jordan Murphy, Ciaran Nolan, Sean McGinley

Millions
A family drama fromDanny Boyle
Main Cast: James Nesbitt, Daisy Donovan, Alexander Nathan Etel, Lewis OwenMcGibbon

(Past Preset Future) Imperfect
A Family drama byGuy de Beaujeu
Main Cast: Rupert Frazer, Sorcha Cusack, Tom Harper, Nicholas Irons

Other titles which will screen at the event include:

Bailey's Billion$
A comedy from DavidDevine
Main Cast: Dean Cain, Laurie Holden, Tim Curry, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Lovitz

A Different Loyalty
A romantic dramafrom Marek Kanievska
Main Cast: Sharon Stone, Rupert Everett

Clean
The award winningcontemporary drama from Olivier Assayas
Main Cast: Maggie Cheung, Nick Nolte, Beatrice Dalle

Cloud Cuckoo Land
Contemporary dramaby Matt Dickinson
Main Cast: Sir Derek Jacobi, Steve Varden, Boo Pearce

Fakers
A comedy crime caperby Richard Janes
Main Cast: Matthew Rhys, Kate Ashfield, Tom Chambers, Art Malik, Rula Lenska

Five Moons Square
A political thrillerby Renzo Martinelli
Main Cast: Donald Sutherland, Giancarlo Giannini, Stefania Rocca, Greg Wise, F.Murray Abraham

Hollywood Flies
A road movie byFabio Segatori
Main Cast: Vinnie Jones, Caprice, Brad Renfro

London Voodoo
Drama by RobertPratten
Main Cast: Doug Cockle, Sara Stewart, Vonda Barnes, Trisha Mortimer

Mothers and Daughters
Black comedy byHannah Davis and David Conolly
Main Cast: Jean Boht and David Conolly

Out on a Limb
Black comedy byRobert Heath
Main Cast: Henry Goodman, Neil Stuke, Julianne White, Costa Milton

School for Seduction
Sex comedy by SueHeel
Main Cast: Kelly Brook, Emily Woof, Dervla Kirwan

Shem
Drama by Caroline Roboh
Main Cast: Ash Newman, Hadassah Unger Diamant

Stage Beauty
A period romp byRichard Eyre
Main Cast: Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Tom Wilkinson

The Football Factory
A controversialhooligan drama by Nick Love
Main Cast: Danny Dyer, Frank Harper

The Last Sign
Supernaturalthriller by Douglas Law
Main Cast: Andie McDowell, Tim Roth, Samuel Lebihan

The Purifiers
A martial artshorror by Richard Jobson
Main Cast: Kevin McKidd, Dominic Monaghan, Amber Sainsbury, Rachel Grant,