The stellar cast of 'Nine' at the premiere of Rob Marshall's musical. IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Dame Judi Dench, and Rob Marshall were all in London Thursday evening for the world premiere of their new movie-musical “Nine." With so much talent on the red carpet, the scene at Leicester Square could have easily been confused for a major awards show.

The only difference might have been that I could barely feel my toes because of the cold. Also, let’s face it, I couldn’t get into the Oscars.

Missing from the premiere were the other three leading ladies of the film: Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren and Fergie.

That makes seven women surrounding Daniel Day-Lewis in director Rob Marshall’s first musical on the big screen since “Chicago”, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2003. “Nine," a third-removed adaptation of Federico Fellini’s “8 ½”, tells the story of Italian director Guido Contini, played by Day-Lewis, who in the midst of a mid-life crisis, struggles to balance the many women in his life in 1960s Venice.

The cast of “Nine” feels like the Olympics of acting. Ireland, represented by Day-Lewis, was first to arrive at the premiere and the actor talked to reporters dressed in high-waisted brown pants, just as quirky as he is.

Although Day-Lewis learned Italian for the Italy-drenched role and would seldom break character while on the set of “Nine,” he confessed he was worried about the singing and dancing. “Most of us are new to this kind of work,” he admitted, “so we all started in the same place - one of abject humility and dread”.

It was a chilly evening in Leicester Square, and although the women of the film looked fantastic, they just weren’t dressed for the weather. Nicole Kidman, outfitted in a short skirt, was too cold to answer questions outside and scurried for warmth. Penelope Cruz only made it through a few reporters and autographs before joining her fellow actors inside. I couldn’t help thinking that I would have worn more clothes, but then my legs don’t measure up to Nicole’s. If you were on a red carpet, would you dress for style, or comfort?

The stars weren’t the only ones braving the weather. Fans clamoring for autographs were plentiful. Screams of “Rob! We love you! We loved “Chicago!” bodes well for the film, which opens Dec. 18 in the U.K.

The success or failure of “Nine” is important to the musical film genre, which has produced such greats as “Hairspray”, “Dreamgirls,” “Mamma Mia” and “Chicago”. “I was overwhelmed with the turnout of women who came and auditioned for ‘Nine,” Rob Marshall told us. “We saw so many great actors and I was blown away by that. “Chicago” might have opened the door a little.”

There’s no doubt this group can act - the cast of “Nine” boasts seven Oscars between them. But, as the release date approaches, only one question remains: Can they also sing and dance?

'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.

Director Shane Meadows filmed 'Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee' in five days. (PHOTO: Warp X).

The idea of shooting a feature film in less than a week is enough to leave the most seasoned filmmaker in a state of panic.

But that's exactly the challenge British director Shane Meadow set himself with latest film “Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee,” shot in just five days.

The improvised comedy starring long-time Meadows collaborator, Paddy Considine and real-life rapper Scor-zay-zee, premiered to positive reviews at Edinburgh International Film Festival earlier this year. It follows failed musician, Le Donk, as he struggles to reclaim his life after his pregnant girlfriend walks out on him.

BAFTA-winner Meadows recently said filmmakers should adopt a “punk mentality” if they want to follow in his footsteps.

"It’s not about someone stumping up £2 million [for a film] and putting pressure on you - it’s about smaller characters and crazy ideas," he said in an interview with Wired magazine.

The director has introduced his very own moviemaking dogma "Five day features," with long-time producer Mark Herbert who also serves as the head of Warp Films.

The only rule of the “movement” is that films are shot in five days or less and he hopes it will promote the idea that working under restrictions is good for creativity.

“The 'Donk' DVD and website will be a working manifesto of how to do it," Meadows said. "In the end, people are going to have to get off their ar**s and do it themselves."

Further details of the project will be announced on Meadows'  official Web site in the near future.

"Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee" is released in the UK on 9 October and will be available on DVD from 26 October.

Play-acting on the pitch is usually frowned upon by fans of the game, but as Eric Cantona's upcoming role as himself in Ken Loach's "Looking For Eric," which is in competition at next month's Cannes Film Festival shows, that hasn’t stopped some of the world’s best players from combining the beautiful game with the big screen.

Cantona is no stranger to the movie world - the enigmatic Frenchman shocked the football by announcing his intention to launch a serious film career on his retirement from the game. A cameo role in the Oscar-nominated 1998 historical drama, "Elizabeth" was an atypically low key debut for the legendary striker, but Cantona has since amassed a substantial filmography of both English and French films.

Now Cantona takes on arguably his biggest role to date - that of himself. "Looking For Eric" is the story of a Manchester United-supporting milkman who experiences visions of Cantona as he attempts to escape a mid-life crisis. The film, directed by Ken Loach, has been tipped for success at the Cannes Film Festival next month.

The beautiful game’s universal appeal has captivated many a film-maker for generations, from Wim Wenders’ psychological take in "The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty" (1972), to Loach’s manic PE teacher in "Kes" (1969).

But it was 1981’s "Escape to Victory" that really kicked off the football film revolution. Pele and Bobby Moore’s star turns were never likely to be up for Oscar nominations, but seeing them share the screen with Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine popularized the idea that footballers themselves could appear on celluloid.

Former Wimbledon and Chelsea hardman Vinnie Jones is one of the more unlikely players to embark on an acting career, enjoying success playing a gangster in Guy Ritchie’s "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch." He subsequently got back into his football kit to appear in "Mean Machine" (2001), a soccer-based remake of the American football film "The Longest Yard."

The most famous player of them all, David Beckham, went one better and had a film named after him - "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002) - although his only "appearance" in the film was actually a lookalike posing as the free kick specialist. However, since his move to Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, Beckham has been no stranger to the Hollywood lifestyle, and indeed did have a cameo in the first of the "Goal!" trilogy, alongside then Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane, a former World Player of the Year, was the sole star of a 2001 documentary, "Zidane: A Twentieth Century Portrait," in which his movement was closely tracked by a team of cameramen during the course of a Spanish Liga game.

And it seems that even the lure of merely appearing in your own movie isn’t enough to sate the footballing appetite for cinema, with some players starting to work behind the camera.

French international Vikash Dhorasoo released his video diary of the 2006 World Cup, "Substitute" (2007), to acclaim at the IDFA Documentary Festival in Amsterdam, documenting his frustration at being consigned to the bench during France’s run to the World Cup Final on Super-8 film.

As both the subject and director of the documentary, Dhorasoo stripped away the glamour of international tournaments, showing the boredom - and even depression - that permeates the lives of the perennial bench-warmer.

Of course, not every footballer after a film career has to make a film about football. England defenders Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand may currently have Chelsea and Manchester United’s Champions’ League campaigns to contend with, but both have signed up as executive producers on 50 Cent’s next film, "Dead Man Running," a gangster flick also starring "The Football Factory’s" Danny Dyer.

Which football movies hit the target for you? Which ones leave you as sick as a parrot?

Whatever your opinion of journalists, the inner political workings of the newsroom have been the basis of some classic films.

Russell Crowe plays Washington Globe reporter Cal McAffrey.

With its warts-and-all exposé of the intrigue and corruption at the heart of Washington politics, "State of Play" is the latest journalism thriller in the spirit of movies such as 1976 Watergate scandal movie, "All the President’s Men," and George Clooney's 2005 indictment of McCarthyism in the early 1950s, "Good Night and Good Luck."

"You can’t make a film in Washington, D.C. about journalism without referring to 'All The President’s Men,' whether its consciously or unconsciously,” says director Kevin McDonald who is known for helming 2006's "The Last King of Scotland" about Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin.

"When I first started making this film, I went through my mind of all the great journalism movies –- like "Sweet Smell of Success," "The Front Page," "His Girl Friday," all of which I love –- and thought there’s something about journalists as protagonists. They’re literate, and smart, and witty, but they’re also colourful - they make great movie characters."

Australian actor Russell Crowe, who stars as Washington Globe reporter Cal McAffrey, has a well-documented mistrust of journalists in real life, but McDonald says he won his leading man over by the time filming finished.

"He told me he hated journalists," McDonald recalls. "He’s suffered at the hands of modern journalists, who play a bit loose with the facts, and he feels a lot of journalists don’t realize the importance of what they’re doing. He felt they weren’t very heroic."

"But he saw he was playing a slightly schizoid character - someone who does realize the weight and importance of what he does, but will bend the rules. So, he managed to have his cake and eat it, he portrayed the kind of journalist he wished existed."

McDonald, who began his film career as a documentary maker, has a warm regard for journalism, as clearly evidenced in "State of Play’s" sympathy for the plight of the ailing newspaper industry.

"I always wanted to be a journalist, I just couldn’t get a job on a paper,” McDonald admits.

"I got into documentaries because I always loved that adrenaline rush of chasing a story, but I love newspapers. There’s something about the feel of them in your hands - the smell of newsprint - that’s very evocative. I feel like we’re watching the last rites of newspapers."

While McDonald hopes he has made a film that entertains, he also believes it has a message.

"This is an entertaining thriller –- hopefully the kind of thriller you can take your girlfriend, or your mum and dad to, and everyone can have a good entertaining time. But I also hope you can come away with a respect for newspapers, and feel like it’s going to be a sad thing when they go.”

What is the best journalism movie? Who are your favourite on-screen journalists? Do newsrooms make good film settings?