Film star, and Bermuda resident, Michael Douglas will speak at a special event at the upcoming Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF).

'A Conversation With ? Michael Douglas' will take place on Monday March 20 at the Liberty Theatre at 6.30 p.m.

The evening will kick off with a screening of 'Falling Down', in which Mr. Douglas plays William 'D-Fens' Foster as an ordinary man at war with the everyday world.

The 1993 film, by director Joel Schumacher, screened at the Cannes Film Festival and also stars Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey and Tuesday Weld.

Hollywood film journalist David Poland will sit down with Mr. Douglas for an informal chat about his film career, followed by an opportunity for audience members to ask questions of Mr. Douglas.

The night wraps up with a cocktail party at the BIFF Front Room festival headquarters at # 6 Passenger Terminal, Front Street, which Mr. Douglas will attend.

"We are delighted that Mr. Douglas' schedule has opened up, allowing him to fly in for this event," said BIFF director Aideen Ratteray Pryse. "He has always supported the festival by sending us films, and he attended a party at the festival in 2004. He has had a standing invitation from the festival to participate in this way, but in the past his schedule has not allowed it. We are sure this will be a very popular event."

Mr. Douglas has produced more than 20 films, and has appeared in more than 50, including audience favourites Traffic, Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, The Jewel of the Nile, Romancing the Stone, The China Syndrome and Wall Street, for which he won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor.

He also shared the Best Picture Academy Award with co-producer Saul Zaentz for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Mr. Douglas is the son of film star Kirk Douglas. His mother, Diana, is part of Bermuda's Dill family.

Tickets for 'A Conversation With ? Michael Douglas' are $100, and available online at www.biff.bm beginning March 8, or from the festival box office, which opens Saturday March 11 at 10 a.m. at the BIFF Front Room, # 6 Passenger Terminal, Front Street. The Festival is on from March 17 to 25.