They are the deal-makers behind the scenes who make it all happen. We talk to "The Dark Knight's" Charles Roven and other producers to find out what their little-known but vital part of the industry entails.

Watch the show on TV

Showtimes: Wednesday 25 November: 09:30, 1730, Saturday 28 November: 0930, 2130, Sunday 29 November: 0630, 1830, Monday 30 November: 0400 (all times GMT)

Watch the show on the web

Watch "Block A: What does a producer do?" here

Watch "Block B: Yash Chopra - Bollywood super-producer" here

Watch "Block C: A modern way of producing" here

An Australian drama featuring two indigenous kids living in the middle of the vast continent has taken the top prize at Asia-Pacific's film awards.

"Samson & Delilah" scooped the Best Feature Film award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards held each year in Queensland, Australia.

Director Warwick Thornton's debut showed at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and was awarded the Camera d'Or for best first feature.

Read more about the APSA winners here.

Working together must be easy for Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the award-winning movie producers.

More often than not, the co-chairmen of Working Title Films finish off each other's sentences, revealing a mutual respect that has its roots in a strong friendship that has spanned two decades.

The London-based producers began working together in 1992. Two years later, they had their first massive hit, "Four Weddings and a Funeral." It took $245 million worldwide by then ticket prices, according to boxofficemojo.com, with more than three-quarters of that coming from outside the United States.

Since then the pair have been on a rollercoaster ride. Their long list of worldwide blockbusters includes "Bridget Jones Diary," "Notting Hill" and "Billy Elliott," proving, more than once, that you don't have to be American to be a success in Hollywood.

Here, the champions of the British film industry talk exclusively to CNN about the future of movies, bad reviews and why they don't sleep at nights.

Read more about Bevan and Fellner here.

What does it take to frighten fantasy and horror meister Peter Jackson? A ghost.

He's still talking about a ghost sighting he had in a New Zealand apartment 20 years ago, it was so terrifying.

But that isn't how the filmmaker, best known for the epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, wants people to experience his new film, "The Lovely Bones."

He's hoping "The Lovely Bones," the film adaptation of Alice Sebold's 2002 bestseller about a murdered 14-year-old girl, will leave people feeling uplifted rather than haunted.

The movie is told from the perspective of Susie Salmon, played by "Atonement's" Saoirse Ronan, who watches her family cope with her brutal death after she is killed.

Read more of this article by clicking here.

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.