George ARomero's Land Of The Deadwill receive its world premiere as the closing night picture at the upcomingCineVegas Film Festival in Las Vegas on Jun 18.

Romero will also receive thefestival's 2005 Vanguard Director Award from Atmosphere Entertainment chairmanMark Canton, who produced the picture with Peter Grunwald and Bernie Goldmann.

Horror fans will get theirfirst chance to see footage of Land Of The Dead at Cannes this year when aspecial 20-minute reel screens at midnight on May 13.

This is Romero's first Deadpicturein 20 years since Day Of The Dead in 1985. The cult franchiselaunched with Night Of The Living Dead in 1968 and was followed by DawnOf The Dead in 1978.

This time round the actiontakes place in a politically turbulent fortified city of humans surrounded byravenous zombies. Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento and John Leguizamostar and the picture will open in North America through Universal on Jun 24.

Canton's AtmosphereEntertainment co-produced the picture with Romero-Grunwald Production andException Wild Bunch.

CineVegas runs from Jun10-18.