60 FILMS FROM 30 COUNTRIES ARRIVE IN CANBERRA

Sixty of the best films from around the world including winners at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals will come to Canberra for this year’s 16th Canberra International Film Festival.

Throw in 14 Australian premieres, 10 delicious strands of filmmaking genres and 97 screenings you have a festival made up of the world's best cinematic stories over the past year – a highlight on the capital’s cultural calendar.

"We are pleased to welcome Pauline Chan to Canberra to launch CIFF 2012,” Festival President Nicole Mitchell said. “Pauline is an enormously talented and respected actress, writer, director and producer whose films cross Asia and the West. Her work – such as 33 Postcards which is screening at CIFF – exemplifies the talent and energy that is driving the Asian Century."

Other guest filmmakers include Justin Dix (Crawlspace) and Boyd Hicklin, whose hilarious comedy Save Your Legs! closes the Festival.

Legendary American director Larry Cohen is also a guest of the Festival, together with actress Laurene Landon. “They are presenting a retrospective of the best 1980s B-grade films you may have never seen,” Artistic Director Simon Weaving said. “Expect to see the wickedly entertaining The Stuff and the fem-goth action film Hundra. And for those who need a little bit of late night horror, the "twisted sisters" Jen and Sylvia Soskia will be in town with their latest film American Mary”.

Other highlights include: Music with Paul Kelly and Dave Stewart, one of the best action film made in the last 10 years Sleepless Night, and ABC film icon Margaret Pomeranz kicking off our after screening chat sessions.

For the fifth consecutive year TransACT is principal sponsor of the Festival. “To celebrate this long-term partnership, we’ve created the new TransACT CIFF mobile app which allows you to view the CIFF program while on the move, check out movie trailers, and search for your favourite films,” TransACT CEO Ivan Slavich said.

“The free app also gives you access to great competitions we’ll be running throughout the Festival – straight from your mobile.”