While the Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) continues to grow by leaps and bounds, the quality of films in competition could be a lot higher, according to those judging this year's feature films.

BIFF has recruited what is probably its most high profile jury to date in 2004, its seventh year of operation. The jury is chaired by actor Willem Dafoe, who is working alongside renowned screenwriters Guillermo Arriaga ("21 Grams", "Amores Perros") and Carlos Cuaron ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") in judging narrative features.

While Mr. Dafoe declined an interview with ? "They said I had to do one thing and I did it today," he said on Tuesday night ? Mr. Arriaga and Mr. Cuaron were kind enough to sit down and offer some thoughts from the jury on BIFF 2004.

Both writers, who hail from Mexico City, said they are having a wonderful experience at the festival but they would like to see BIFF raise the bar for its competing features.

"I really think they have to raise the standard of the films," said Mr. Arriaga. "Some of the films have a very amateurish feeling."

There are six films competing for best feature this year ? Bomb the System (US), El Polaquito (Argentina), The Garden of Earthly Delights (Italy/UK), Summer in the Golden Valley (Bosnia-Herzegovina), The Ticking Man (UK) and The Wooden Camera (South Africa) ? and when the jurors spoke to they had yet to see all films. They will make their decision today however, on which of these six will take home the BIFF title for best narrative film.

That and the other awards ? best documentary feature, the 'Bermuda Shorts' award for best short and the Audience Choice Award ? will be handed out tonight at the festival wrap party at Hamilton Princess.

But, at least one juror, said the films competing in the narrative category are not really up to par.

"I know there are very good films showing out of competition like 'Y Tu Mama Tambien', 'Perfuma de Violetas', and 'In America' but in competition, I would try to have a more high standard in the selection of films," said Mr. Arriaga, whose own films have won awards at festivals from Cannes to Sao Paolo.

While, in past years, BIFF has been criticised for showing films which had already been in commercial release, or had been on the festival circuit for a long time, Mr. Arriaga said such criticism is unfair.

"The only festivals to have non-released films are the Triple A festivals ? Cannes, San Sebastian, Berlin and Venice," he said. "Every other festival in the world is showing only released films."

Mr. Arriaga said his huge festival hit, "Amores Perros", won several festivals long after it had gone into wide release, including high profile festivals.

"It won Talking Heads one year after it had been released," he said. And although, his recent hit "21 Grams" has been in wide release and earned Oscar nominations for 2003, it is now headed to several festivals for competition, he added.

But the quality of films at any festival can be a crapshoot, added fellow juror Carlos Cuaron, and BIFF has its benefits as well.

"Compared to other festivals, it's small because the Island is small," he said. "And I think that is good. Big festivals can be too busy, too crowded and too much.

"The social stuff is too big. I like it that BIFF is smaller and more controlled."

He added: "At every festival you see the best films and the very worst films and everything that lies in between

"That's what you have here. And that is the special character that independent films give."

And Mr. Arriaga added that he recognises the hard work that BIFF organisers put in and the constraints under which they have to work as a small, lesser known festival.

"The festival is fun and people are very nice," he said. "I really recognise the effort and work that has gone into it and the pressures of making the festival under very harsh conditions.

"For many festivals people submit their work but here (organisers) have to travel a lot and see a lot of films to bring them back (to Bermuda).

"I recognise and appreciate the huge efforts of Aideen (Ratteray-Pryse) and everyone involved."

Both Mr. Cuaron and Mr. Arriaga are visiting Bermuda for the first time and said they have been shocked by the cold weather but delighted by its quirky charms.

"It is very different than I expected," said Mr. Arriaga. "There is no poverty here, or, at least, there is not poverty like I have seen in other places. ? I think that it is amazing such a small place can organise a festival that is growing this big."

As a storyteller, Mr. Cuaron said he has enjoyed hearing some of Bermuda's wacky tales.

"It has so many weird stories," he said. "Like it should have been a Spanish country but the Spaniards sort of lost it. And how they found the Crystal Caves because two kids fell down there. It has too many stories for such a small place."