Night Owls (Czech Rep)

Dir: Michaela Pavlatova

Pavlatova is one of the Czech Republic's best-known animation directors, winning an Oscar nomination and prizes at Berlin, Cottbus and Montreal for her short films. Night Owls - her second live-action feature - is a drama about a young girl working in a 24-hour convenience store, struggling with life and love.

Int'l sales: Negativ, (420) 224 933 755, katerina@negativ.cz

The Shaft (China)

Dir: Zhang Chi

In three interrelated parts, The Shaft follows the travails of three members of a coal-mining family in western China. It is the debut feature from Zhang, a graduate of China's Central Academy of Drama.

Contact: Zhang Chi, (86) 139 0135 8138, zhangchi0912@163.com

Dr Aleman (Ger)

Dir: Tom Schreiber

Drama starring August Diehl as a German medical student living in Colombia. Originally a camera assistant, Schreiber graduated from short features with his 2003 feature debut Fools.

Int'l sales: Telepool, (49) 89 55 87 60, telepool@telepool.de

Terribly Happy (Den)

Dir: Henrik Ruben Genz

A comedy about a police officer transferred from Copenhagen to a small town, where he has a hard time adjusting. It is based on a novel by Erling Jepsen, whose The Art Of Crying was made into an award-winning film. Genz won the Fipresci award at Karlovy Vary in 2005 for Chinaman, and his 1998 short Theis And Nico was nominated for an Oscar and won the Crystal Bear at Berlin.

Int'l sales: Fine & Mellow, (45) 361 885 00

Behind The Glass (Croatia)

Dir: Zrinko Ogresta

This drama follows five days in the life of a man torn between his mistress and his wife and son. It is Ogresta's third film in competition at Karlovy Vary, and follows the success of Here, which won the special jury prize in 2004.

Contact: Interfilm Produkcija, (38) 51 466 7290, interfilm@interfilm.hr

Distant Tremors (Bel-Fr)

Dir: Manuel Poutte

A young Senegalese man drags three lost Westerners deep into Africa to confront their inner demons. The cast features Amelie Daure, Papa Malick N'Diaye, Daniel Duval and Jean-Francois Stevenin. Poutte received the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 1992 for his short, La Sensation.

Int'l sales: Wide Management, (33) 153 950 464, wide@widemanagement.com

DOCUMENTARIES

Bye Bye Shanghai (Czech Rep-Arg)

Dir: Jana Bokova

A personal film about the director's return home to the Czech Republic following 30 years in exile. Bokova wrote and directed the drama Hotel Du Paradis, which screened at Cannes in 1986.

Int'l sales: Endorfilm, (420) 241 730 780, endorfilm@endorfilm.cz

Rene (Czech Rep)

Dir: Helena Trestikova

A documentary about a young man's cycle of crime and imprisonment as he tries, and fails, to make it as a writer. Trestikova won a special mention at Karlovy Vary for her 2001 documentary Women At The Turn Of The Century (Trapped).

Int'l sales: Negativ, (420) 224 933 755, katerina@negativ.cz

EAST OF THE WEST

I Was Here (Est-Fin)

Dir: Rene Vilbre

In Vilbre's second film, a teenage drug dealer decides that being arrested might be his chance for a better life. Ilmar Raag, writer-director of award-winning Estonian drama The Class, adapted the script from Sass Henno's bestselling novel.

Int'l sales: Amrion, (372) 677 63 63, riina.sildos@amrion.ee

FORUM OF INDEPENDENTS

Good Cats (China)

Dir: Ying Liang

Talented young film-maker Ying paints a picture of modern-day China tainted by the money-chasing rat race in this tale of an irresponsible chauffeur. Ying won a Fipresci award at Singapore for his 2006 film Taking Father Home.

Contact: 90 Minutes Film Studio, (86) 216 324 1821, pengshan19811116@hotmail.com

R(evolution) (India)

Dir: Mustafa Zaveri

A copy of a book by Krishnamurti connects the lives of three people in three different decades. The film is set and shot in Goa with dialogue in English. Zaveri wrote, produced, directed and stars in what is his debut film.

Int'l sales: Revolution Films, (91) 22 2342 1387

OUT OF COMPETITION

Nick Nolte: No Exit (US)

Dir: Tom Thurman

The subjects of Thurman's previous documentaries have included John Ford and Hunter S Thompson. In his portrait of Nick Nolte, the director has the actor interview himself. The film also features testimonies by Ben Stiller and Jacqueline Bisset, among others.

Int'l sales: FBN Productions, tthurman@fbnmotionpictures.com

Bathory (Czech Rep-UK-Hung)

Dir: Juraj Jakubisko

At nearly $17m, Jakubisko's long-awaited historical English-language picture bills itself as the most expensive Czech production ever made. Anna Friel stars as the reputed mass-murderer Countess Elizabeth Bathory. The cast also includes Hans Matheson, Vincent Regan, Franco Nero and Karel Roden.

Int'l sales: Sola Media, (49) 711 479 3666, post@sola-media.net