Highlighting the Highgate Film Festival will be the Opening Night Gala and an entertaining mixture of Special Programmes for both young and mature film enthusiasts. The festival will open at the historic Phoenix Cinema, the second oldest Cinema ever built in London, and will host a talk from local industry figures.

The Opening Night feature is yet to be confirmed but the selected short films will include:

BABY (10 mins.) Directed by WIZ. Exclusive screening of acclaimed film makers latest short. WIZ was invited to preview BABY at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Rites of passage tale concerning a teenager and a swimming pool.

Magic of Vincent (8 mins.) Directed by Charles Parker. Bill Nighy stars as a man obssesed with Van Gough. When portraits start appearing on his body the line between reality and imagination is blurred. Starring: Miranda Richardson, John Fortune, Emilia Fox and Bill Nighy.

Joan (5 mins.) Directed by local filmmaker Jan Dunn who is quickly gaining a reputation for her directorial skills and for shooting successful 35mm short films literally on shoe string budgets. Joan was made for £4000. Even though she had to beg for practically everything to ensure her films got made, Jan has no problem in attracting strong casts and well known TV celebs Mel and Sue even got roped in to make the sandwiches. Joan is a comedy set at teatime, when Lee brings his girlfriend home to meet the parents. Sounds ordinary enough so far but, Lee`s girlfriend is called Joan, arrives on a horse, wearing armour and hears voices calling her to leave for France.
Starring: Emma Kennedy, Kate Williams and Duncan Preston.

Bicycle (20 mins.) Directed by Ronen Menachem. (European Premiere) Contemporary homage to Bicycle Thieves. When Tom needs a new bike his father Eli turns to desperate measures to secure one for him. Filmed on location in Israel. Hebrew with english subtitles. Starring: Amos Lavie, Gal Chason and Sharon Alexander.

Please! (17mins.) Directed by Paul Black. A writer at the end of his tether. Frustrated and angry he becomes a danger to himself and others.

You`re Free. Decide. (12 mins.) Directed by Miha Mazzini. (UK Premiere) In the middle of an unspecified war, three badly wounded soldiers and their nurse hide in a fortified cellar. When the first of their three alarms is triggered the choices, they must make are devastating. Slovenian with English subtitles. Starring: Veronika Drolic, Simon Serbinek, Ales Erzen.

Other special programmes that will be presented are: a Children's Film Workshop - make films and animations for screening at the Highgate Film Festival; Skate And Create - a programme of skateboarding films with archive and rare footage; a Talk on Independent Filmmaking - David Nicolas Wilkinson, Distributor with Guerilla Films, will talk about all aspects of film production from conception to distribution; and Animation Workshops. A wealth of animating talent reside in Highgate and new filmmakers are encouraged to produce material for screening at the Highgate Film Festival.