The big headline-grabbing UK premiere is the superb Intimacy, directed by Patrice Chereau and based on the writings of Hanif Kureishi. You'll doubtless already have heard about this one owing to its full-on sex scenes which the newly liberalised BBFC let pass. But it's also a mature, moving vision of contemporary relationships and one of the more compelling filmic portraits of London - a fitting opener.

Other UK premieres include the controversial erotic drama Center Of The World by Wayne Wang (director of Smoke and Blue In The Face); and Together, the new film by Lukas Moodysson (Show Me Love), a comedy set in a 1970s Swedish commune. This one's the funniest film since Being John Malkovich and feels timely given the fixation with Big Brother's updated version of communal living.

The retrospective strand features the work of Timothy Spall, whose amazing career in both film and television encompasses Secret And Lies, Intimacy, Topsy Turvy and Auf Wiedersehen Pet.

The programme taken as a whole offers a nicely-judged blend of the popular and esoteric, homegrown talent and international fare. East Asian film is an exceptionally strong presence, headed up by a real coup - Wong Kar-Wai's beautiful and strange samurai epic Ashes of Time, unaccountably never distributed in Britain but thankfully now taken up by the ICA. There's a new Oshima film, Gohatto, another samurai drama; and the langorous, stylish At The Height Of Summer by the brilliant Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung (Cyclo, The Scent Of Green Papaya). The Iron Ladies is a much-vaunted Thai film about a predominantly gay, transsexual and transvestite volleyball team which could well turn out to be the surprise hit of the festival.

There's lots of other good stuff. There are UK premieres for Robert Guedigian's A L'Attaque and Jan Svankmajer's latest, Otesanek. Michael Winterbottom will be presenting work-in-progress footage from his forthcoming 24 Hour Party People, the story of Factory Records. There's a host of 70mm revivals including Lawrence Of Arabia, Vertigo and 2001: A Space Odyssey. And special effects guru Ray Harryhausen, the man responsible for the wizardry of Jason And The Argonauts, will be leading a workshop.

It's definitely worth mentioning the shorts and experimental strands too, where some real gems can be seen - rarely shown works by the likes of Atom Egoyan, Guy Maddin, Todd Haynes, Spike Jonze, Jonas Mekas, and Ken Jacobs. There's a rare opportunity to see three films by Beat film maker Robert Frank; and it's good to see a selection of work by Chris Cunningham, Jem Cohen, and Brian Eno's Ambient Films all included. Anyone familiar with Mark Webber's regular cult film nights at the ICA will want to make a beeline for a strand entitled The Joy of Subversion, which has been curated by the Pulp guitarist.

The Cambridge Film Festival's history is littered with cinematic high-points. Between 1977 and 1996, it gave British premieres to some influential classics - Reservoir Dogs, the Three Colours Trilogy, Barton Fink amongst others - and programmed retrospectives by the likes of Robert Bresson, Philip Kaufman and Francesco Rosi. Right from its inception, it established a reputation for innovation and international diversity. Its return is a cause for genuine celebration - in the current difficult distribution climate in Britain, the more festivals the better.

Kieron Corless