Well, i'm amazed but delighted that my baby has become news on CNN! Lots of people have been working very hard to make the auteurs film world cup a success, and it's been a long complicated process, due to finish next month.

Kudos to the team managers and participants of this little competition, one of the most eye-opening and worthwhile film endeavors you'd be lucky enough to experience.

Oh, and since you asked, some of my favorite hidden masterpieces that I've discovered as a direct result of this competition:

Mysterious Object at Noon – Arpitchtapong Weeresethakul
Landscapes in the Mist – Theo Angelopolous
Cyclo – Anh Hung Tran
Ucho – Karel Kachyna
Vive L'Amour – Tsai Ming-liang
Wavelength – Michael Snow

And believe me, I could go on.

Thanks for the publicity! I'm manager of Italy, but my role as a manager has not been nearly as incredible as my role as a participant. I have discovered so many wonderful films I would not have ever seen without this tournament and the wonderful people involved.

I urge everyone to try and vote in at least one pairing. Just pick two films that seem interesting and watch them. It doesn't take very much time, and I'm sure you'll find a hidden gem!

This is amazing. I'm glad to see the competition has gained some popularity. Hopefully it gets more people involved to watch great films.