Actor Liam Neeson and British director Alan Parker are among the special guests at the Plus Camerimage film festival which begins today in Poland.

The screening of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan opens the festival in Bydgoszcz, the first time that this international event dedicated to the art of cinematography is being held in the northern city, after ten years in Łodz.

Some 300 cameramen, directors and scriptwriters, as well as around 1, 200 film school students from many countries are taking part in the event.

The festival guests include Carlos Saura, Darren Aronofsky, Thomas Vinterber and Poland’s Jerzy Skolimowski.

Liam Neeson, star of the Oscar winning Schindler’s List, will collect the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award, named after the late film director.

The competition entries - where films compete for bronze, silver and gold Frog Awards - includes Mike Leigh’s new feature, Another Year, Gaspar Noe’s Enter the Void, and two highly-acclaimed Polish features: Skolimowski’s Essential Killing and Venice by Jan Jakub Kolski.

Camerimage, which runs till 4 December, ranks among the world’s most prestigious festivals devoted exclusively to the art of cinematography. (mk/pg)