Playtime, which will be screened from 35 millimetre film, is only the first of the Big Screen retrospective, which this year features films that experts believe should be seen at the cinema only.

They include classics such as "The Italian Straw Hat", "The Wizzard of Oz" and "Lawrence of Aarabia".

Meanwhile, ten fresh films by up-and-coming authors will be in the running for the Kingfisher Award, sponsored by Telekom Slovenije, in the Perspectives section.

The most popular section, "Avantpremieres", will bring Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Birdman", Mike Leigh's "G. Turner" and "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" by Roy Andersson.

The festival will pay tribute to Alexei German, the recently deceased icon of the Soviet and Russian film, and to Swedish director Ruben Östlund.

Traditionally, Liffe also features a section for children and a diverse accompanying programme. A new addition this year is a competitive programme of music video clips with the winner to be chosen by the public online. The Creative Europe Desk masterclass in screen-writing will feature Mary Kate O Flanagan.

In the past ten years, some 45,000 tickets were sold annually, which covers 55% of the festival's budget.