ISTANBUL: Bridges Europe - Turkey is a new initiative of European Film Promotion (EFP) and Istanbul International Film Festival that was launched this year to bring introduce 10 new European and 12 new Turkish up-and-coming directors to the Istanbul public as well as industry professionals.

ISTANBUL: Turkish films have had a string of successes at international festival recently and the 14 new feature film projects in development presented at this year's edition of the Meetings on the Bridge in Istanbul attracted an unusually high level of international interest.

ISTANBUL: Celebrated Turkish photo artist Selim Gunes is in production on his first feature film Snow White produced by Istanbul based Augostos Film (www.agustos.com). The film was one of nine feature film projects selected to be funded by the Turkish Ministry of Culture this year.

PRAGUE: Marek Najbrt's Protektor was the clear favourite at this year's Czech Lions (6 March) picking up the prize for both best film and best director well as prizes for best script, best editing, best music and best actress. The Czech Lions are the Czech equivalent of the Oscars.

CANNES: There has not been many French winners of the Palme d'Or in recent years but with Jacques Audiard's A Prophet that screened today if the critical response is anything to go by the French have a strong chance this year. The film is about the 19 year old Malik El Djebena condemned to prison for six year who cannot read or write.

CANNES: British director Ken Loach has fulfilled a dream in making a film about football with Looking For Eric that stars the real life football star Eric Cantona alongside vetern British actor Steve Evets. Loach films do not tend to be star vehicles but Cantona drew as many cheers as Brad Pitt on the red carpet and his name is sure to bring this film more popularity at the box office than most Loach films.

CANNES: American born director Quentin Tarantino brought total star power to Cannes for the world premier of his film Inglourious Basterds surrounded by his cast Mélanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mike Myers, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Brühl, and Eli Roth. Tarantino looked at home on the red carpet. The director was president of the jury in Cannes in 2004 and won the Palm d'Or for his film Pulp Fiction in 1994.

CANNES: Today's screening of Michael Haneke's What Ribbon was definitely the unveiling of one of the competition's most serious artistic achievements. Set in a small village in Northern Germany on the eve of the first World War Haneke explores the consequences of absolutist values and the inhumanity that it leads to.

CANNES: Lars Von Trier's Antichrist lived up to the controversy that has surrounded the film when it unspooled in today's press screening. The film follows a grieving and troubled couple to their isolated cab in the woods but as the images of sex and nudity Von Trier subjects his audience to grow increasingly disturbing to look at you have to ask if the result is worth the experience you are subjected to.

Cottbus has awarded its "Distribution Support Prize for a festival film From Cottbus to Cinema" to distributor Alpha Medienkontor.