The Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) will be held from March 19-25 next year, and not April as has been the norm since inception.

"We have contemplated this move for some time," BIFF director Aideen Ratteray Pryse said. "There are several reasons behind the move, not least of which is the conflict we have in April with the XL Tennis tournament. That impacts our ability to attract volunteers, without whose support our event simply would not function as well as it does.

"We were well-supported at the box office in April, with many screenings sold out. In fact, we had record box office this year, but moving it up to March is something we feel will have a positive effect on attendance as well. No longer will film and tennis buffs have to make a difficult choice between attending a top independent film or watching two of the world's top tennis players square off."

The move to March is also expected to help the festival attract film industry heavyweights.

"Cannes is in May, and in mid-April the heavyweights of the film business are busy preparing for their visit to Cannes," Ms. Ratteray Pryse said. "They either have a film at Cannes, or are interested in acquiring a film at Cannes, or are busy lining up meetings with other industry types during Cannes week. That made it difficult for them to shoot down to Bermuda in April, even for a few days. By moving the festival to March, there is a greater chance we will be able to attract those people."

With the move to March, the Festival's deadline for receiving film entries will be November 1, 2003.