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Date: 24 September - 10 October

The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring top films from celebrated film-makers as well as fresh new talent.

The 48th annual festival kicks off with David Fincher's The Social Network about the founding of Facebook, which stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man) and Justin Timberlake.

The Centerpiece film is Julie Taymor's version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren as Prospera (instead of a male Prospero) and co-starring Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, and Alan Cumming.

Film highlights include Mike Leigh's Another Year with Jim Broadbent, the Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives by Thailand's Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and the controversial film Socialism, marking Jean-Luc Godard's 27th appearance at the festival.

In addition, the festival will present the Mexican anthology film Revolucion with Gael Garcia Bernal, director Kelly Reichardt's Meek's Cutoff with Michelle Williams, and the Portuguese mini-series Mysteries of Lisbon from director Raul Ruiz.

Clint Eastwood's London-shot supernatural thriller Hereafter will close the event.

A unique blend of programmes, set to run during at the Walter Reade Theater, will complement the screening schedule - including:

Mike Leigh: Shooting London
6.30pm, 6 October

Acclaimed director Mike Leigh is a quintessential chronicler and interpreter of London (past and present). London is the city he lives and works in, and a "character" all its own in the Leigh universe. Leigh will discuss the importance of London neighbourhoods and sites in his films, and their integration into his films' themes. This session will be moderated by Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London, and interspersed with a selection of film clips.

Further information: www.filmlinc.com/nyff/index.html