Dublin International Film Festival programme announced

The programme for the 2008 festival was launched last night by Pat Shortt and Jayne Wisener, the young actress from Coleraine currently appearing in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd.

In Bruges, the debut feature from London-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, will open the festival on February 15 in the Savoy. The film features Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two bickering mobsters adrift in the medieval Belgian city.

Both Gleeson and Daniel Day-Lewis, along with Leo Ward are set to be presented with 'Volta Awards' for lifetime achievement by the festival organisers.

New for 2008 are outdoor screenings of several films, while other highlights of the programme include screenings of Happy-Go-Lucky, the new film from Mike Leigh and Katyn the latest from the great Polish director Andrzej Wajda.

The event ends on Sunday, February 24, with the world premiere of Declan Recks's film version of Eugene O'Brien's play Eden.