Next week sees the opening of the 38th International Film Festival in Rotterdam with the world première of the American feature film The Hungry Ghosts on January 21.

The movie is the directing debut of actor/scriptwriter Michael Imperioli who is best known for his role as Christopher Montisanti in the tv series The Sopranos.
‘The Hungry Ghosts is an excellently directed, written and acted portrait of roaming souls, looking for themselves and for liberation. Michael Imperioli reveals his talent in the subtle way in which he makes this both human and occasionally contradictory urge visible,’ says festival director Rutger Wolfson on the organisation’s website.
In total the festival, which attracts visitors from around the world, will screen 43 world premieres.
This year’s festival theme programme is Young Turkish Cinema which explores the rise of contemporary independent film-making in Turkey. There is also a strong presence of eastern European films in this year’s event.
Some 14 films will compete for the festival’s prestigious Tiger Awards, including Danny Boyle’s much-acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire.
Another highlight of this year’s film festival will be three specially commissioned films which will be projected on the outside walls of Rotterdam’s skyscrapers.
The festival runs until February 1. For the full schedule, background info and (for the first time) trailers, click here.