The 16 films competing at this month's Bermuda International Film Festival will take local audiences from Lebanon to Afghanistan, from Hungary to Uruguay and from the echelons of power in Liberia to North American bedrooms.

Eight documentaries and eight narrative films will vie for honours at the 11th annual BIFF, running from March 28 to April 5.

The winner of the Best Narrative Feature award will receive the Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Award, which carries a cash prize of $5,000. The festival's competition slots in the Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature categories are restricted to first and second-time feature directors.

Among the eight narrative features are award winners from the Cannes, San Sebastian, Rotterdam and Santa Barbara film festivals. The Argentinian film, 'XXY', was named Best Latin American Film at the 2008 Goya Awards.

The documentary feature category includes winners from the Amsterdam and Santa Barbara festivals and Israeli Academy Awards. 'Jerusalem is Proud to Present' won the Movies that Matter Human Rights Award at Amsterdam, while 'Saving Luna' won the audience choice prize at Santa Barbara, and 'Souvenirs' won Best Documentary at the Israeli Academy Awards.

The 16 feature-length films selected for competition at BIFF 2008 are:

FRESH VISIONS — COMPETITION FEATURES

Caramel (d. Nadine Labaki, Lebanon-France, 95 min) Arabic and French with English subtitles

Nadine Labaki's gorgeous and love-affirming romantic comedy was the sleeper hit of the Cannes Film Festival. In Beirut, five women meet regularly in a beauty salon, a colourful and sensual microcosm of the city. Their intimate and liberated conversations revolve around men, sex and motherhood. Layale, the owner and lifeblood of the salon, carries on a hopeless — but very satisfying — affair with a married man.

The director herself plays Layale, leading an ensemble cast that generates enormous warmth and wit onscreen. The film looks past the war and politics of Lebanon to the eternal truths of love and passion — and delivers a crowd-pleasing film for us all to enjoy. Audience Award, San Sebastian Film Festival

XXY (d. Lucia Puenzo, Argentina-France, 89 min) Spanish with English subtitles

Winner of the Cannes International Critics Week Grand Prize, as well as a 2008 Goya Award for Best Latin American Film, this is an assured, beautiful debut. Alex lives with her parents, whose reaction to her indeterminate gender has been to exile the family to a small island community in Uruguay. As she comes of age, her parents feel it is time for them to decide if she is to be a woman or a man. Her mother invites some old friends from Argentina to visit for the weekend — one of whom just happens to be a surgeon. They also bring their teenage son, who knows nothing of Alex's story but is intrigued by this tomboy. XXY tastefully explores its subject matter with as little adornment as possible, with an openness and lack of judgment.

Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (d. Hana Makhmalbaf, Iran, 81 min) Persian with English subtitles

Hana Makhmalbaf's debut feature is a deceptively muted — and then climactically explosive — broadside against the Taliban set in the Afghani province of Bamian. In 2001, the Taliban destroyed a pair of massive fifth-century Buddha carvings there; those magnificent statues loom in absentia over Makhmalbaf's pointed parable.

Inspired by her neighbour's recitations, smiley post-toddler Baktay (Nikbakht Noruz) decides she wants to go to school. Her first lesson is in economics, as she tries to barter some eggs for the pen and paper she'll need for class. That's a head-scratcher, but nothing compared to the ensuing tutorial in culture studies, as she's menaced by a callow cabal of boys playing "Taliban" — and playing it to the hilt.

Iska's Journey (d. Csaba Bollok, Hungary, 93 min) Hungarian with English subtitles

Street children play themselves in this story about Iska, a 12-year-old girl living on the streets in a coal-mining town in Eastern Europe. Born into extreme poverty, she picks through the rubbish dump, searching for scrap metal. Whatever money she does manage to bring in buys booze for her alcoholic parents. She and her little sister are taken into care, but she soon daydreams about running away to the seaside. With her sick sister left behind and a new friend by her side, she is just about to leave when things go wrong — and she eventually finds herself on a ship at sea, the victim of people traffickers bound for foreign shores. Best Film, Hungarian Film Week.

Young People F**king (d. Martin Gero, Canada, 90 min)

Young People F**king is a fabulously funny romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud and wincing at the same time! This smart and insightful sex adventure takes you from "foreplay" through "orgasm" to "afterglow" via the overlapping strands of five different relationships. It is not visually graphic as much as verbally unambiguous ('Shortbus' fans will be disappointed). Storylines include the two best friends who decide to have sex for lack of other choices. The exes on a bittersweet post-mortem date. An older Casanova who has a first date with a cute young girl. A sweet couple in a long-term but now boring relationship. Plus the threesome: the wired boyfriend, his "impossibly hot" girlfriend and his cheerless roommate. Young People F**king is a sharp and thoughtful take on modern relationships done in a manner that entertains with impunity.

Amal (d. Richie Mehta, Canada, 101 min) English and Hindi with English subtitles

On the streets of New Delhi, every day is a struggle to survive. But Amal, a simple, humble auto-rickshaw driver, is content with the small but vital role he plays — to drive his customers through the city as efficiently and safely as possible. One day, he drives an eccentric old billionaire, who is burdened by his failing legacy — his children are ungrateful spoiled brats, and his colleagues are corrupt and money-hungry. So he wanders the city, dressed as a vagrant, searching for the two things his money has never given him — hope for humanity and peace for his soul. Amal's life may change forever. Filmed on location in New Delhi, this modern day fable ultimately reveals to audiences that the poorest of men are sometimes the richest. Winner, Best Independent Feature, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Wonderful Town (d. Aditya Assarat, Thailand, 92 min) Thai with English subtitles

This romantic drama is set in post-tsunami southern Thailand. Ever since the tsunami, the townspeople are jobless and have nothing to do. Young people ride motorcycles in circles, while old people remember the better times in the past. One day a stranger, an architect named Ton, arrives. He rents a room from hotelier Na, the town daughter, and they begin a love affair. Now, the town has someone to blame for their troubles. This is a story about a love that grows where there is no more love — and about a town that tries to destroy the beauty that it cannot have for itself. Can a town be wonderful again? Winner, Tiger Award, International Film Festival Rotterdam

Strangers (d. Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv, Israel-France, 85 min) English, and Hebrew, French and Arabic with English subtitles

Eyal, an Israeli living on a kibbutz, and Rana, a Palestinian living in Paris, accidentally meet in the Berlin subway during the 2006 World Cup. The chance encounter turns into three days of magnetic attraction as they fall in love — but as Rana unexpectedly flies back to Paris, the second Israel-Lebanon war breaks out. Conflicted Eyal decides to search for her. In Paris, the harsh realities of displacement, opposite opinions about the war, and allegiances and responsibilities test their bond. However, being on neutral ground helps them to transcend the deep wounds of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts as they reflect on their common history and homeland and an intimacy builds. The film reflects the urgency and freshness of a younger generation seeking to reconnect with, and humanise, the "enemy" in their midst.

NEW REALITIES — COMPETITION DOCUMENTARIES

Souvenirs (d. Shahar Cohen and Halil Efrat, Israel, 75 min)

Filmmaker Shahar Cohen accompanies his 82-year old father, Sleiman, to a reunion of the Jewish Brigade, which served in WWII Italy. He is startled to hear his father readily admit to possibly having left behind "souvenirs" — children — with two different Dutch women when the Brigade regrouped in the Netherlands. Under the pretext of retracing his father's wartime steps, Shahar takes his father to the Netherlands to hunt for the hinted at siblings and an unusual road trip ensues. Sleiman is a cheerful person whose unwillingness to reveal more is constantly overcome by his great enthusiasm for the trip. Unbeknownst to him, Shahar has hired a private investigator to locate the "souvenirs". The road trip builds a special bond between Shahar and Sleiman and, for the rest of us, it is fun to be along for the ride.

Saving Luna (d. Suzanne Chisholm, Michael Parfit, Canada, 100 min)

Saving Luna is a true story about a young killer whale, nicknamed Luna, who crossed the wall between humans and wildlife and brought upheaval with him. In 2001, when Luna was a baby, he got lost in Vancouver Island's Nootka Sound, more than 200 miles away from the waters where his pod spends much of its time. When he tries to befriend people, he causes laughter, tears, amazement and love. As conflict stains the sea, we humans confront our fears and fascinations with the unknown. When we try to save Luna from our own deadly confusion, he forces us to face new ideas about the very nature of life itself and the values we think are ours alone. Winner, Audience Choice, Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Democracy in Dakar (d. Ben Herson, Magee McIlvaine, Chris Moore, United States-Senegal, 100 min) French with English subtitles

African Underground: Democracy in Dakar is a documentary film about hip-hop youth and politics in Dakar, Senegal. The film follows rappers, DJs, journalists, professors and people on the street at the time before, during and after the controversial 2007 presidential election in Senegal and examines hip-hop's effect on the political process. Originally shot as a seven-part documentary mini-series released via the Internet, the documentary bridges the gap between hip-hop activism, video journalism and documentary film and explores the role of youth and musical activism in the political process.

Jerusalem is Proud to Present (d. Nitzan Gilady, Israel, 82 min) English, and Hebrew, Arabic and Yiddish with English subtitles

In the summer of 2006, Jerusalem was to host, for the first time, the World Pride events, which were to culminate in a traditional gay pride parade. The planned events stirred turmoil in the politically complex city with Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious leaders banding together in an uncompromising battle against what they said would "defile the holy city". On the other side stood the activists of the Open House, Jerusalem's LGBT community centre, who planned the events, as well as other human rights organisations and the city's first gay councillor. Steadfast in the face of the heated and violent anti-gay sentiment, they had to deal with threats to much more than just their right to march. Winner, Movies that Matter Human Rights Award, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam

Silhouette City (d. Michael W. Wilson, United States, 88 min)

Silhouette City is a harrowing free-fall through the near space of American religious extremism. It investigates a growing Christian fundamentalist movement viewed through a historical lens. The film begins with the story of an obscure Christian survivalist group active in the 1970s and 80s, as recounted by one of its former members, and then moves forward to the current post 9/11 era — where startling ideological echoes are revealed and examined. In a period largely defined by religious violence, Silhouette City contemplates the motivations for adopting apocalyptic worldviews by providing a unique window into the foundational ideas, organisational structure and psychological dynamics of one of the most powerful movements taking root in America today.

View from the Bridge: Tales from Kosovo (d. John Ealer, Laura Bialis, US, 105 min) English, and Albanian and Serbian with English subtitles

This is the first documentary made about post-war Kosovo. The bridge in the title spans the river Ibar in Mitrovica, which links the north and south, the Serbian and Albanian, sections of the country. Even after the war, few dare to cross it. The film is a series of riveting first-person accounts by war victims from both sides. Each reveals a different aspect of life in Kosovo as they talk about the terrible events of the past, the way they live now and their hopes for the future. The stories are deeply personal and together they build a picture of a still deeply divided nation and highlight the obstacles in the way of a peaceful future. As they say in Kosovo, peace is for the brave.

Gahan Wilson: Born Dead, Still Weird (d. Steven-Charles Jaffe, US, 103 min)

Featuring interviews with comedians, filmmakers and fellow artists — including Stephen Colbert, Guillermo del Toro, Stan Ray and Hugh Hefner — Born Dead, Still Weird is a thoughtful portrait of veteran cartoonist Gahan Wilson, whose modern gothic perspective on society has fostered and influenced many, as well as being an entertaining chronicle of an artist still at work. Wilson sees monsters lurking under the surface of ordinary, everyday situations and turns them into horrifically funny and often ironic cartoons. Using a candid and humorous style of filmmaking, the director takes a penetrating look into the life and work of Wilson to reveal fascinating details of the renowned artist's creative process.

Iron Ladies of Liberia (d. Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott Johnson, US, 2007, 77 min)

Given unparalleled access to the newly elected Liberian government in 2006, we get an incredible ringside seat from which to view the challenge of change. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman elected head of state in Africa when she became President of Liberia. Known for her steely determination, this grandmother, along with Antoinette Sayeh, new Finance Minister, and Beatrice Munah Sieh, new Chief of Police, tackles the country's woes. Liberia has endured vicious civil wars and now suffers a shattered economy, crushing debt and rampant corruption. The obstacles to change are complex and vast but the tools are limited such as police with no guns or handcuffs. Filmmakers follow Johnson Sirleaf and her Cabinet as they begin the monumental job of nation building. These Iron Ladies are courageous, inspirational and proud.

Tickets to BIFF 2008 will go on sale on Wednesday, March 19 at 10 a.m. both online at www.biff.bm as well as at the festival's physical box office, Washington Lane, Hamilton.