Clint Eastwood is to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award

From humble beginnings as a gathering for enthusiasts showing a few long-released, scratchy films, it has become a major launchpad for US cinema in Europe.

Deauville has been increasingly successful in attracting A-list Hollywood actors who are turned off by Cannes' traditional preference for world and arthouse movies.

Running from 1-10 September, the festival features a string of major US studio releases alongside a Panorama section of independent and low-budget films.

Films showing in Europe for the first time include Hollow Man, Space Cowboys, What Lies Beneath and Scary Movie.

Tributes

The festival, now in its 26th year, is organising special tributes to Clint Eastwood, Samuel L. Jackson and Susan Sarandon, as well as the Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis.

Also appearing at the festival are English director Stephen Frears, Japanese actor and auteur Takeshi Kitano, and the Chinese-American director of The Ice Storm, Ang Lee.

Musical stars such as Joel Grey, Gregory Hines, Leslie Caron and the legendary child actor Mickey Rooney - now 79 - are also attending as part of a tribute to Broadway and screen musicals.