The cast of Fatih Akin's 'Soul Kitchen' with the Festival director Despina Mouzaki. (PHOTO: Vasilis Ververidis)

Arriving in Thessaloniki for the 50th film festival I was met with the Greek sunshine (an exception for northern Greece in November) and festival liaison Aspasia who embodied the efficiency, positive energy and can-do attitude of this unique festival. Aspasia’s name goes all the way back to Greece’s Golden Age when she was one of the few women intellectuals around and a long time partner to Pericles, the founder of democracy.

This is not Cannes, Venice or Toronto. It’s a small festival which nevertheless manages to screen 240 films in its 10-day run and takes pride in involving the Thessalonians in its celebrations in every way it can. Hordes of volunteers and young performers storm the city with imaginative acts inspired by memorable film scenes. From an homage to choreographer Dean Collins who taught actresses such as Shirley Temple and Joan Crawford how to swing dance in the legendary Hollywood film studios of the 1940s and 1950s to an experimental dance performance inspired by the angels in the Wim Wenders film "Wings of Desire."

If one word were to be used to describe this festival, it would be accessibility. Festival-goers can turn up and tap into the wisdom of director Werner Herzog, discover the inspiration for "Pans Labyrinth" from production designer Eugenio Caballero and quiz Fox Studio studio exec Jim Gianopoulos about the real story behind Jim Cameron’s "Avatar."

The best part about these masterclasses? Anybody can attend, they’re informal and they’re free. If you want to follow Herzog’s film seminars at his new Rogue Film School, a few hours will cost you a few hundreds dollars.

The former warehouses of the city’s port authority have been transformed into screening rooms, festival offices and exhibition centers and they are only a hop away from the main city square and the scenic boardwalk that runs along the Thermaikos Gulf.

Once you enter the world of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, you enter a whirlpool of late night film screenings, 3 a.m. film debates in tiny cocktail bars and high profile film-makers who get behind the decks to direct their own DJ sets. You soon realize that the city lives by night. Its Byzantine monuments, like the Belvedere castle, take on another life when lit against the dark sky, and there is something very romantic about watching the bar lights reflect off the Thermaikos Gulf.

The organizers are not kidding when it comes to loving film. It’s bestowing Golden Alexander awards on Herzog and Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic – the latter a nod to the festival’s commitment to showcasing films from the Balkan region. Japanese Pink Erotica and Filipino film-makers (including Lav Diaz, whose film "Melancholia" is an eight hour opus) are featured and the main international competition focuses on first- and second-time film-makers.

Domestically though, the festival’s brightness is somewhat dimmed by the absence of some of the brightest lights in Greek film-making. A boycott of the National Film Awards which follow the festival is intended to alert the newly-elected government to long-running concerns about government commitment to the film industry.

But the new Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos gives a positive message about attracting European film-makers to Greece, the festival’s dynamic director Despina Mouzaki exudes pride in the landmark event and her festival wraps itself around you – you see it in every corner from posters to ticket booths to promotional projections on the city’s ancient building which themselves become cinematic screens and you even go to bed with it if you happen to turn on the TV in your hotel room.

Thessaloniki’s cuisine is eclectic, bringing together the cuisine of Constantinople, the Mediterranean, and even flavors from the large Jewish community of Thessaloniki. Middle-eastern music mixed with Metallica in a suitably eclectic DJ set by Turkish-German director Fatih Akin followed the opening night premiere of his film "Soul Kitchen."

As a stalwart of Thessaloniki, we quizzed him on his reasons for coming back. His reply was simple: "The food, the people, the place."

Melissa Buttigieg, 23, saw "Twilight" 15 times in the theater. Hassina Ford, 19, watched it on the big screen 10 times, and Aimee Murphy, 22, watches the DVD every day.

They were among the throng of overwhelmingly female fans who gathered on a recent evening in London with the aim of catching a glimpse of the cast of "New Moon," the second film based on the the best-selling "Twilight" book series by Stephenie Meyer.

The crowd - representing factions of both Team Edward and Team Jacob, referring to the two male characters at the center of the vampire romance saga - shrieked and screamed as the teenage heart throbs walked down the red carpet at the event for UK fans.

"Twilighters," as fans of the franchise are known, can undoubtedly match fanboys for fervor. But can they redefine what makes a blockbuster in Hollywood?

Read more by clicking here

Beyond the pitch: A film Web site is running a movie tournament modeled after the World Cup. PHOTO: Getty Images

Movie Web site TheAuteurs.com is running a competition that sees national and regional film cinemas face off against each other.

What are your favorite hidden film masterpieces? Tell us in the comments below

Quarterfinals for The Auteurs World Cup kick off today. The contest, which began in September, is organized by members of the film site, which bills itself as an "online cinematheque."

During each round of the film competition, a team manager selects three movies to represent a country or region. Those selections are then pitted against three films of a rival team.

Members of the The Auteurs community determine who wins the match by voting for their favorite in each film pairing. Newcomers are invited to get involved in the tournament, but in order to vote participants must have watched the films in each pairing.

Many of the films representing the final 16 teams are obscure - “Aaltra” from Belgium and “Crazed Fruit” from Japan are just a sampling – but the film site hopes the tournament will reveal cinematic gems to more viewers.

'Twilight' loyals painted their faces to attend the UK fan party of the saga's new movie. PHOTO:CNN

Some of them were holding books while others were waving letters they had written the night before. Some had travelled more than a thousand miles while others had skipped school. Some came dressed up while others had scribbled "Bite Me" on their faces. Some were new to this while others had seen it all before.

Most of them were freezing. But all of them were screaming.

For the loyal clan of "Twilight" fans that crammed into a west London park Wednesday hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars - maybe a picture too, or even a hug - the UK capital’s abysmal November weather was no impediment. This was the time to show their loyalty and their dedication: this was the time to show what true fans are made of.

Are you baying for "New Moon" or are you yet to be bitten? Are you an older "New Moon" fan? Tell us below in the comments.

On any other day as cold as November 11 2009, 15-year-old Annabelle would have worn her Uggs to ward off the chill. Today that was not an option, even though she couldn’t feel her feet. Her idol Edward Cullen, aka Robert Pattinson, publicly revealed his dislike of the sheepskin boots, instantly making them a forbidden item at New Moon’s UK fan party at Battersea Evolution.

Even the freezing weather could not dampen the mood: Each time the "New Moon" trailer appeared on the massive screens above the fans, a wave of synchronized, deafening screams - that would put most football fans to shame - would erupt as throngs of young girls shouted like there was no tomorrow.

Stephenie Meyers’ brooding and romantic vampire stories seem designed to appeal mostly to a generation of young women reared on the Harry Potter stories, who are now ready to follow more adventurous paths.

However, it was not just 14 to 22-year-olds who were there. Besides the rare representatives of the male species, there were one or two more mature women allowing themselves to get carried away amid the teenage perkiness - even though most of them were just there to accompany their young daughters.

Some of them are also hardcore fans, representing the ever-growing group mature followers known as "Twilight Mums." Thirty-nine-year-old Heidi boasted that she and her young daughter had already booked tickets for the long-awaited opening of  "New Moon" on November 20.

The event also presented the perfect opportunity for some fans to meet in person for the first time after hours of nattering in online groups dedicated to their favorite series. Some, like Patricia, 24, had even travelled from places as far away as Spain, reflecting the series’ border-crossing appeal.

At last, the moment that everyone was waiting for had arrived. The actors put their feet on the red carpet a few minutes before 7pm, making the ever-energetic crowd forget all the hardship they had suffered during the many hours of waiting. The most loyal fans had rushed into Battersea park some 12 hours before just to ensure a good spot.

To give credit to the film’s cast, and especially to Robert Pattinson, the assembled fans got to spend quite a lot of time with the "New Moon" actors, getting back some of the affection they were so generously giving away.  The cheering and screaming moved like synchronised ripples above the crowd in perfect co-ordination with the slow manoeuvres of Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and, of course, Robert Pattinson.

And then the cast, along with their celebrity friends and some lucky fans, moved indoors to carry on with the party. For those unlucky ones who hadn’t managed to win a ticket inside it was time to disperse slowly, tired yet contented.

After all the screaming, crying and declarations of love, it was time for some rest - or homework.

One movie, more than any other, has planted its flag in the sand as the movie industry gears up for the awards season.

"Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire," has emerged as this year's breakout indie hit to beat.

Critically-acclaimed on the international festival circuit, it is the only film to win the audience award at both Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival - the latter a steadily reliable predictor of Oscar.

Last weekend it broke indie film records at the domestic box office.

"Precious" tells the tale of an obese, illiterate teenager - played by 24-year-old newcomer Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe - struggling to survive in 1980s Harlem.

It boasts Oprah Winfrey among its producers and features the curious distinction of usually-glam pop diva Mariah Carey as a pale-faced and plain social worker.

And that's where "Precious" plays another classic awards card - Carey dressing down.

Read more of this article on CNN's The Screening Room here.

It may seem stranger than fiction, but George Clooney's latest film, paranormal comedy "The Men Who Stare at Goats," was inspired by real events.

"It's funny, there are things that are made up in this screenplay, but the wackiest things are actually the real ones," said Clooney

Like starring alongside a goat.

Clooney's role as Lyn Cassady, an operative of the New Earth Army, required him to play opposite the farmyard animal to demonstrate the army's psychic warfare strategies, among them the ability to kill goats by staring at them.

Known for his dry sense of humor, the actor said of his four-legged co-star: "This goat was a particularly nice goat. The goat was a great actor."

Read more of this article on CNN's The Screening Room here.

There has been a resurgence of interest in horror recently, with zombies and vampires in particular colonizing our cinema screens in ever greater numbers.

As if to feed our renewed appetite, some of the genre's living legends are once again back in the director's chair delivering terror at 24 frames per second.

Check out our interactive featuring Wes Craven, Sam Raimi, George Romero and John Landis, including exclusive video clips of these titans of terror talking about the genre.

James Cameron's 'Avatar' will premiere on December 10 in London. (PHOTO: 20th Century Fox)

Twentieth Century Fox has announced that the movie will have its world premiere in London’s Leicester Square on December 10.

A few lucky audiences have already caught a sneak peek at snippets of the highly-anticipated film, which is tipped as having the potential to change the face of cinema.

Do you like 3D films? Are you planning to watch "Avatar"? Tell us in the comments below

A 25-minute preview was screened at Comic-Con in July to glowing reviews, and a 15-minute clip of the movie was shown to sold-out audiences in select theaters around the world on “Avatar Day” in August.

In a year of big 3D releases, including Disney’s "Toy Story" and Pixar’s "Up," "Avatar" - which tells the story of a war between humans and the native species of the jungle planet Pandora - is turning into the year’s most hyped.

The movie, which combines digital 3D technology with Cameron’s trademark epic storytelling, is being hailed as revolutionary. That it is Cameron's first film since record-smashing "Titanic" more than a decade ago is only serving to increase the feverish anticipation.

"Avatar" is released worldwide on December 18

The new front cover for the 'Suspiria' re-release. PHOTO: Nouveaux Pictures/Cine-Excess

Tired of getting short-changed by DVD extras? So is cult film authority Xavier Mendik.

Features where everyone just grins into the camera and talks about how great the production was are superficial, he says. Moreover, they “don’t do fans justice.” What extra features do you want to see? Tell us in the comments below

Mendik, the director of Cine-Excess, an international conference and festival on cult film, is doing something about it by partnering up with distributor Nouveaux Pictures to re-master cult horror movies.

Besides giving fans a chance to see cult classics for the first time on DVD, the label – whose slogan is “Taking Trash Seriously” – sets itself apart with extra features created by academics, he says.

The label has already re-released 1980s favorite “Amsterdamned” and in January 2010 comes a remastering of “Suspiria,” Dario Argento's stomach-turning horror set in a ballet academy.

The restoration on the Blu-Ray and DVD release of "Suspiria" will include four new documentaries that examine everything from gender controversy in the film to its style and politics in Italy in the 1970s.

“It will be the ultimate DVD,” says Mendik, who says the label is responding to what fans want.

Cult devotees have more to look forward to.

Cine-Excess has been given rights to a catalog of 300 movies owned by B-movie producer director Roger Corman and is planning to release 15 films in the next 12 months with Nouveaux Pictures, says Mendik.

The label is aimed at both the everyday cult fan as well as the growing educational market that has emerged around cult, says Mendik, who teaches cult film and TV at Brunel University in the UK.

With all this in mind, we asked Mendik to list his top five horror cult movies of all time. His picks and comments are below:

1. “Suspiria” (Dario Argento, 1977): “Being in the position to re-release this film is phenomenal.”
2. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (Tobe Hooper, 1974): “It remains a profoundly shocking film.”
3. “Deranged” (Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby, 1974): “For its gore and gross out factor – a look at depravity with a wonderful, near hysterical performance by the central lead.”
4. “Venus in Furs” (Jesus Franco, 1969): “A psychedelic dream scene horror with a freestyle jazz structure.”
5. “Cabin Fever” (Eli Roth, 2002): “A new talent in the horror field to keep an eye on.”

Tanedra Howard in a spot of bother in the latest installment of the ultra-violent Saw franchise. IMAGE FROM LIONSGATE.

Are audiences finally getting tired of ultra-violent splatter flicks, typified by the "Saw" franchise?

First screened as a low-budget indie horror at Sundance Film Festival in 2004, "Saw" went on to become a global phenomenon. Are you sick of splatter? Is old-fashioned suspense making a comeback? Tell us below

"Saw VI" is the latest installment in the multi-million dollar franchise featuring modern horror icon the "Jigsaw Killer." It hit cinemas over the weekend hoping to pull in dollars from horror-hungry Halloween audiences.

And it probably would have done pretty well if it wasn't for another, rather newer, horror phenomenon: "Paranormal Activity."

The microbudget flick which is becoming a box office wonder pipped "Saw VI" to the top spot at the U.S. box office this weekend.

Does this mean audiences are tiring of the splatter horror genre revitalized by Eli Roth in 2005's "Hostel," and sometimes known by its detractors as "torture porn?"

Or, is it just that "Paranormal Activity's" huge success surprised everyone? Made for somewhere in the region of $15,000, "Paranormal Activity's" rise to the top is already legend in Hollywood.

It's worth noting that the "Saw" series remains one of the most profitable franchises in horror history.

Since the first installment bled onto screens in 2004, the first five movies have delivered a combined box office take approaching $700m worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com, with international takings accounting for around half this haul.

DVD sales and TV are likely to easily surpass this total again - and all for a quintet whose combined production budget clocked in at less than $100m, the price of a middling summer blockbuster.

So, despite the competition, it's unlikely that this is the dying breath of torture porn.

What is almost guaranteed in the wake of  "Paranormal Activity" is a wave lo-fi horrors trading on bumps in the night, hoping for similar success.