Eastern Europe's films gain

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CANNES, France -- A longtime favorite low-cost destination for many big movie productions, Eastern Europe is now starting in a big way to come into its own on the international film stage.

A new generation of exciting young producers is emerging across the region and making waves at this year's 59th international Cannes film festival.

This trend was highlighted by the festival's artistic director Thierry Fremaux before the 12-day event, which culminates tomorrow with a star-studded prize-giving ceremony.

"Over recent years, we've sensed an east wind rising. The 2006 selection confirms it," Mr. Fremaux says.

This promises to be a vintage year for a number of Eastern European countries, and the director for the film market, Jerome Paillard, says there were 300 film titles from Eastern Europe being sold at the market compared with 150 last year.

"There is real progress. Cinema there is moving. It touches us, deeply with original and serious subjects," he said.

"We've not had so many films in Cannes for 20 years, so it's an exceptional year for us," said Csaba Zoltan Papp, spokesman at the Hungarian film stand.

Poland and Romania, which has a stand here for the first time, are also both strongly represented in the lower-key, but still prestigious, ancillary events held alongside the competition for the coveted Palme d'Or.

The region has always produced some outstanding prize-winning filmmakers, including Poland's Krzystof Kieslowski, whose three-part "Red," "White" and "Blue" film series won him fans around the world.

Serbia's Emir Kusturica has the distinction of having scooped the top Cannes honors on two occasions. First, in 1985, with "When Father Was Away on Business" and again in 1995 with his film "Underground."