The perennially excellent Belfast Film Festival kicks off next Thursday. The festival begins with a gala screening of the much- anticipated Killing Bono, and affairs close on April 14th with Behold the Lamb, an intriguing independent production from John McIlduff that appears to follow two oddballs as they progress across the North with, yes, a lamb.

Other gala screenings include Nadia Tass's Australian drama Matching Jack, starring local man James Nesbitt; and Terry George's The Shore, starring Ciarán Hinds. But, given Ulster's mystifying obsession with motorsports, the hottest ticket may well turn out to be TT3D: Closer to the Edge, a 3D study of the Isle of Man's TT motorcycle race.

Among the other upcoming releases on display we find Meek's Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt's acclaimed western starring Michelle Williams; Oranges and Sunshine, Jim Loach's moving tale of a British scandal; and the animated feature My Dog Tulip.

As ever, a tasty selection of special events will take place. Richard Lester's under-rated 1974 nautical disaster movie Juggernaut, starring Richard Harris, Omar Sharif and Anthony Hopkins, will play in a boat on the Lagan. There's a breathless 15 Second Film Festival. And, yes, the annual Pong Championship will be back. This is, apparently, the 10th year for the celebration of Palaeolithic video games. belfastfilmfestival.org

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dclarke@irishtimes.com