Moscow International Film Festival opens in Russian capital

Movie stars wearing wide smiles and fancy dress walked down a blue carpet Friday to the opening ceremony of the 27th Moscow International Film Festival, which features 350 movies from around the world.

Organizers said this year's festival, which runs through June 26, was focusing on films from Central Asia and the Middle East.

The United States, after an absence of several years, was also represented, with two films entered in competition: Arie Posin's "Chumscrubber" and Georgina Garcia Riedel's "How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer."

The festival was opening with an Italian-German film, "The Life I Want," directed by Giuseppe Piccioni.

High-profile foreign film industry figures were expected to attend, including British director Peter Greenaway, Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah and French actresses Annie Girardot and Jeanne Moreau, organizers said in a statement.

AP