The screening programme of the 12th Sofia International Film Festival was officially presented on February 27 at a news conference at the cafe Matti'D in Sofia. The 12th edition of one of Bulgaria's most awaited cultural events will be held from March 6 until March 12 in Sofia, with additional screenings in Sofia, Plovdiv and Bourgas (March 17 to 23). SIFF is the only place where Bulgarian cinema fans can meet both outstanding films and film makers from all over the world.

This year's festival focuses on the cinemas of two nations. Russia will be presenting the best that it has to offer from the past year. To coincide with the Russian screening programme, director Nikita Mihalkov is coming for the premiere of his Oscar nominated film 12. Mihalkov will also be presented with the Sofia Municipality Award for Outstanding Achievements in Cinema.

The other country in the spotlight is The Netherlands, with Dutch director Jos Stelling heading the international jury of the festival. Cinema fans will have the opportunity to view seven of his films with an additional four from other directors of his country.

SIFF's film schedule includes several retrospectives: one will feature all the films from the Turkish-German director Fatih Akin, who is also coming to Sofia for the premier of his latest movie At the Edge of Heaven; the other retrospective will present two films of the British director Dom Rotheroe.

The screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière with two of his films - Ulzhan by Volker Schlöndorff and Goya's Ghosts by Milos Forman -, the legend of Serbian cinema Miki Manojlović, playing the leading role in the Bulgarian-German-Slovenian-Hungarian co-production The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner, the Macedonian director Milcho Manchevski (Before the Rain, Dust) with his latest film Shadows and many others are among SIFF's special guests.

Not-to-miss movies at this year festival include I'm Not There by Todd Haynes, a biopic of Bob Dylan; The 11th Hour, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio; Lost and Found, the unique omnibus film that opened the International Forum of Young Cinema in Berlin in 2005; and the documentaries The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories by Andrey Paounov and Corridor № 8 by Boris Despodov.

Tickets for all the films are available online at eventim.bg and cost five or seven leva, with special discounts available for students.