The Berlin International Film Festival is to set up a parallel event for up to a thousand international film students, festival director Dieter Kosslick has revealed.

Called the Berlinale Talent Campus, the event is to run in parallel with the 53rd edition of the festival in 2003. The initiative will include screenings and workshops led by film professionals from all areas of film-making.

"This will be a huge new event running for five days in parallel with the Berlinale," Kosslick said. "Young talent involved in all aspects of film-making and from all parts of the world will have the chance to meet experienced professionals and show their movies."

The venture is likely to be staged with international organisations including pan-European promotion agency European Film Promotion and the European Film Academy. It will be launched at next year's festival, which runs February 6-17.

Other initiatives next year see the festival's parallel industry market, the European Film Market, introducing professional panel discussions. The wide-ranging series of talks will cover subjects including co-productions, financing, distribution, television and films, and sales. The festival is also planning a series of dinners, dubbed Dinner Tables, at which a range of industry players will be able to meet.

"We hope to bring people together to meet each other and do a little wheeling and dealing in a very pleasant atmosphere," said Kosslick.