Editor

In their 11th year, the Hollywood Film Festival(r) and Hollywood Awards(r), have named the panel of international judges assembled to decide on the nominations of this year's Hollywood World Awards(r). The awards will be bestowed October 22 at the Hollywood Awards(r) Gala ceremony, which takes place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The awards have become a good predictor of international films which are set to receive kudos in the year's awards season.

Last year's winner was Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" and its star Penelope Cruz accepted the award. Previous winners include "Mrs Henderson Presents," "The Motorcycle Diaries" and The "Sea Inside."

A panel of international judges consisting of critics, festival directors and impartial executives chose the shortlist of films last year which included "The Lives Of Others, " "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Queen."

Qualifying films must have their world premieres between Sept 18, 2006, and Sept 16, 2007, encompassing this year's crop from all the major film festivals.

This year's panel of judges has already been confirmed.
The chair of the panel is Hollywood Foreign Press Association Vice- President and Screen International US editor Mike Goodridge.

"The Hollywood World Awards highlight all the major international films of the year including upcoming world premieres at Venice and Toronto," stated Hollywood Foreign Press Association Vice- President and "Screen International" US editor Mike Goodridge. "We are excited to be giving the cream of the crop their first exposure to the Hollywood community at large."

The 2007 panel of judges consists of:
- Teresa Cavina (Italy)
International program manager (directing committee), Rome International Film Festival
- Dan Fainaru (Israel)
Film critic, Screen International, Globes Daily & Cinematheque Magazine
- Manuel Grosso (Spain)
Director, Seville Film Festival
- Nicole Guillemet (US)
Former Director, Miami International Film Festival
- Jim Hamilton (Canada)
Director of festival center programming, Toronto International
Film Festival Group
- Sandra Hebron (UK)
Artistic director, The Times BFI London Film Festival
- Richard Holmes
Executive director, Melbourne International Film Festival
- Allan Hunter (UK)
Film critic, Screen International & The Daily Express (UK)
- Tobias Kniebe (Germany)
Film critic, Sueddeutsche Zeitung
- Derek Malcolm (UK)
Film critic, The Evening Standard
- Despina Mouzaki (Greece)
Director, Thessaloniki International Film Festival
- Jacob Neiiendam (Denmark)
Head of programming, Copenhagen International Film Festival
- Jonathan Romney (UK)
Film critic, Screen International & The Independent On Sunday
- Ilda Santiago (Brazil)
Director, Rio International Film Festival

Surprisingly no one is there to represent France one of the most powerful cinema countries in Europe.