The39th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July2-10) hasattracted a number of celebrity guests to this year's event.

Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is expected to present MichelGondry's Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, which screens in theHorizons sidebar, while screen veterans Ben Gazzara and Seymour Cassel willintroduce the films in the festival's extensive Cassavetes retrospective. Theinfluential American director died 15 years ago and would have turned 75 thisyear.

Veteran Robert Altman's The Company screens in adance film sidebar alongside Carlos Saura's Salome. The festival'sHorizons programme will include films such as Patty Jenkins' Oscar-winning Monster,Richard Linklater's Before Sunset, the Coen's brothers The Ladykillers,European and Asian award-winners like Gegen Die Wand, Daybreakand Last Life In The Universe as well as recent Cannes titles BadEducation, Old Boy and The Edukators.

Other films from Cannes include Jessica Hausner's Hotel,Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll's Whiskey, Lu Cheng's Passages,Carole Laure's CQ2 and Katsushito Ishii's The Taste Of Tea.

The competition program will not be announced until June16,but at least three films have been confirmed including two newcomers: the CzechRepubic's Marek Najbrt's Mistri/Masters and Danish actress turnedfilmmaker Paprika Steen's Aftermath, as well as Polish director KonradNiewolski's Symetria.

Aspreviously announced John Irvin's The Boys From County Clare will openthis year's event, while the gala closing will be Shrek 2, which will bereleased locally straight after the festival.