FESTIVALS

June 20, 2007–The 29th Moscow Film Festival opens today with Serbian director Emir Kusturica's “Promise Me This,” and closes June 30 with French director Claude Lelouch's “Tracks.”

Some 17 movies are up for the competition prize, the Golden St. George, including two U.S. pics –Anna Biller's “Viva” and Henry Bean's “Noise.”

Mediafest has pulled the event together in just three months. Previous organizer, Interfest, was replaced in a bid late March. Fest's new artistic director, Finland's Kirsi Tykkylinen, is the first foreign fest programmer in the territory. Fellow selectors include Fipresci prexy Andrei Plakhov and critic Petr Sheppotinik.

Main competish jury will be headed by Australia's Fred Schepisi, alongside Italian actress Anna Galiena, Georgian helmer Dito Tsintsadze, Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi, U.S. producer Fred Roos, Russian actress-director Renata Litvinova and Swedish director Othman Karim, who took the top prize at MIFF last year.