A FILM documenting the island's 1959 Theatre Boycott will have its premiere at the Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) next month.

When Voices Rise, directed by Errol Williams, will premiere at Southside Cinema on Saturday, April 13 at 4 p.m.

"We are delighted that such an important film, telling the story of one of the seminal civil rights events in Bermuda's history, will make its world premiere at our festival," BIFF director Aideen Ratteray Pryse said yesterday.

The 70-minute film focuses on the many attempts to rid Bermuda of segregation.

"The most successful attempt was organised by the Progressive Group," a BIFF spokesperson said. "Working in secret they organised a boycott of the cinemas in 1959. This triggered mass support from the public and resulted in unprecedented change in the island. This story is told by the people involved in taking social action."

Mr. Williams began making films around 15 years ago. His documentaries and dramas have played at festivals and been broadcast in many countries. His most recent film, Echoes in the Rink: the Willie O'Ree Story, featured in the Perspective Canada section of the Toronto International Film Festival in 1998.

According to the director, When Voices Rise - his first feature-length documentary - "paints a fascinating picture of Bermuda at that time".

Organisers also announced yesterday that To End All Wars, a film documenting the inhumane treatment of a Scottish regiment taken prisoners of war, will occupy the festival's prestigious Opening Night Film Slot at the Liberty Theatre on Friday, April 12.

The film, which stars Robert Carlyle and Kiefer Sutherland, is based on the true story of the Argyll and Sutherland Highland Regiment which was captured by the Japanese during World War Two. As prisoners of war, the men were forced to build 42 kilometres of railroad in 18 months, into the Thailand jungle but ultimately found true freedom by forgiving their enemies.

"The film packs a powerful emotional wallop," BIFF's director of programming David O'Beirne said. "Aside from being about the inhumanity of war, it is a poignant tale of the power of forgiveness."

Negotiations are currently under way to release the film theatrically.

Following To End All Wars is Wild Bees, a film from the Czech Republic that won an acclaimed Tiger Award at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam.

Directed by Bohdan Slama, the film is set in a long-forgotten village in Northern Moravia in which life revolves around doing nothing and going to the pub.

"After 40 years of communism, the only thing that's left is a half-ruined church and abandoned fields. What choice does this place give to youth. Weaving a web of hope, humour and despair, the village's social event of the year, the firemen's ball, begins and in the morning, everything will be different. Or will it?"

The 53-film line-up also includes the documentary Daughter from Dananag, which won the Grand Jury Prize in its category at the Sundance Film Festival, and No Turning Back, a multiple award winner.

The box office hit Lantana will screen as part of BIFF's Australian sidebar.

"We worked in partnership with Cowboy Booking, agents for the film in New York, and we are delighted to add such a well-regarded film," said Duncan Hall, BIFF's director of public relations who set up the features portion of the sidebar. "With stars like Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush and Barbara Hershey, we expect the film to be enormously popular with festival-goers."

Film passes go on sale on-line today at www.bermudafilmfest.com and are available in packages of six, seven and 14 films until March 22. Individual film tickets will be sold between April 1 and 11 at the City Hall box office and from April 12 through 18 at the theatres.