Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) opens later this month. Bermuda's own DJ Beatnik will be mixing great sounds at the Wrap Party which brings it to a lively end.

From the time he was first hired by BIFF for its 1997 end-of-Festival party, Beatnik has consistently proved a winner -- which is, of course, why he keeps getting invited back.

"His music is sophisticated and it has an edge,'' says BIFF's Director of Events Nita Grewal. "Film people attend a lot of parties so they are exposed to a lot of different things in terms of international music. What Beatnik plays is played anywhere in the world. He is a "turntablist'' rather than a DJ.'' At Wrap parties, Beatnik's challenge is to please an audience which is as diverse in age, taste, and culture as the films which are shown. Among the guests will be producers, directors, film buffs and volunteers from many countries as well as Bermuda, all of whom will be pursuing the same hedonistic goal: one heck of a good party.

As every party animal knows, a DJ can make or break an event, depending upon how he skilfully he "reads'' his audience and mixes his sounds, and Beatnik is known as an expert at both.

Behind his cool, laid back exterior, the man who hates to dance has had years of experience, both here and abroad, letting his fingers do the talking, so no engagement phases him.

"DJ-ing is an art form, and I believe in taking it to the highest level because that prepares you for any gig, and makes you able to rise to any occasion,'' he says.

If BIFF organisers are happy with Beatnik, he is no less happy with them because, while local audiences prefer the music they know, this annual gig gives him a chance to showcase a wide variety of music from his eclectic collection of genuine vinyl discs.

"The party allows me to play the different genres of music that I have in my collection: jazzfunk, acid jazz, Latin, soul, jazzy house, and much more,'' he says. "I play what I think is good music, but not necessarily popular music.'' Indeed, part of his professionalism includes keeping current with international music trends -- often to the surprise of the overseas visitors who cannot believe they are hearing familiar sounds from back home wafting over a Wrap party in tiny Bermuda.

Sensitive to the various phases of the party, which will include a short prize giving ceremony, Beatnik spins the sounds that are appropriate at the time, building from what he terms "old music'' at the beginning of the evening to the trendiest, most upbeat sounds at the end.

"I will probably play a lot of very familiar music at the beginning while people are standing around drinking and having a good time. At the presentation I will probably take it up a notch, and offer some reggae and Latin,'' he says.

And then it will be time to get the guests up and dancing, which is always a crucial test of the DJ's artistry -- and something Beatnik is not likely to fail, even though he rarely, if ever, dances himself.

If that seems curious for someone so deeply involved in the entertainment scene, it doesn't bother the man who dresses quietly for his gigs and likes to keep low profile on stage.

"I'm not one of those flashy cats,'' he says. "I am a very laid back person, and the less that is known about me the better. It's not about me but the atmosphere I create.'' Beatnik got started in the entertainment business in the mid 1980s, and he had a crew known as Beatnik Academy -- "so called because we educated the people who were working with us''.

Like his father, well known DJ Cy Hall, before him, Beatnik -- who declines to give his real name -- began honing his skills by listening to the tapes of professional overseas DJs.

"They were my measuring stick,'' he says.

Of his entertainment career, the man who is also a founder of the popular Flow Sunday open mike performances of poetry and music, says: "It is just another way to grow intellectually and musically. You get a better understanding of what you are doing. It's the diversity of it that I really appreciate.'' An electrician by day, Beatnik is blessed with an understanding boss who gives him the flexibility to travel in pursuit of his art. As a result, he has DJ'd in New York and London.

"I keep myself on the cutting edge,'' he says. "I do my own groundwork with regard to contacting different promoters. I DJ'd at Thames Valley University, and I've got a three-month summer gig in and around London this year. My boss appreciates that I am trying to make it happen.'' Meanwhile, Beatnik has his sights firmly focussed on April 26. "I feel privileged that BIFF has chosen me for their different events because I have originality.'' The BIFF Wrap party and awards ceremony will take place on April 26 in the lobby of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI), beginning at 9 p.m. For ticket information 295-1727.

Also included in the BIFF entertainment line-up is a lively opening night party at Fort Hamilton, with buffet, and music by the Howard Rego band. Cash bars will be open each evening from April 20-26 between 5.15 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. at the following locations: The foyer of the Bermudiana Arcade (across from the Little Theatre), and downstairs at the Liberty Theatre.

Also from April 20 to 26 there will be `Chats with film makers' at the Rock Island Cafe between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Here, film makers will give talks and exchange dialogue with the public. Admission is free.

Tickets ($70 including food, drink and entertainment) for BIFF's opening and closing parties are available at the Visitors' Service Bureau box office on Front Street 295-1727, as are tickets for individual film performances.