Around 700 people can fit into Odeon West End's main theatre, and there aren't many empty seat this morning as the 52nd London Film Festival is launched. The scoop is the world premiere of new James Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008), and a minute of it is shown. But probably the main reason that 650 jaded film press have woken up early to get into the centre of London is that this film festival isn't curated by the customary hairy, dirty, fat and smelly men who usually run film festivals, but by two of Europes most outstandingly beautiful - and chic - women.

Amanda Nevill is Director of the British Film Institute (BFI), a quasi-Government organisation which is responsible for the UK film archive and for producing the annual film festival. She says (edited) 'This year the BFI is 75 years old. The National Gallery is 185. The British Museum is 250. We are still the new kids on the block. We have a similar role - film is the most important art form of today. Everybody loves it - it's today's favourite medium. It's the best possible way to understand different cultures. Anthony Minghella, who loved this festival, said 'To watch a film is to borrow somebody else's eyes for two hours' - his words stay with me every day. We know that it's a rare and wonderful thing to remember a film that makes us think again and make our hearts sing. I've always loved the Festival's democratic approach. It nurtures talent and creativity. We are unashamed in our aspirations for the future of this Festival. We have everything here to win. We have generous funders and sponsors'. She names them, including official beer Cobra, The Times, Hewlett Packard, American Airlines, BFI, Sky (a new main sponsor, she says), Mayor of London, Lottery Funds, Film London, SkillSet, Mastercard, Turner Classic Movies, Production Base, Renault, Digital Cinema Media (formerly Carlton Screen Advertising), Moet & Chandon, Green & Black, courier Midnight Express, Georgio Armani Cosmetics, MTV, BBC London, Variety, LoveFilm, 'all the embassies and cultural departments'. Amanda Nevill looks lovely in elegant black trousers wide to the foot, with a gorgeous black tunic, double-breasted with gold buttons, the black contrasting subtly against pretty blonde hair cut to the shoulder.

Sandra Hebron is Artistic Director of the London Film Festival. She says (edited) 'This year there is an unprecedented number of premieres: 15 world, 14 international, 20 European. I'm delighted so many are choosing London for premieres. There are 130 shorts, a broad range of special events. We'll take over Trafalgar Square for two nights of screenings. I'll pick out a few key themes. There's the premiere of Frost/Nixon (2008), set to be one of the films of the year with key roles for British actors. The closing night gala is Slumdog Millionaire (2008), with a real wealth of talent from Britain and India. A common theme to both is the power of tv. There are 15 other galas. A pleasure has been the discovery of a particularly strong showing of British film. There are films from 43 countries, from student radicalism in Japan to an unorthodox Spanish biblical tale. Achive selections include Once Upon A Time In The West (C'era una volta il West (1968)), forty years old. There are opportunities for filmmakers to meet, from formal occasions to informal Q&A's - over 400 international writers, directors and actors will be here to talk about their work. Three words - politics, history, memory - came to me to sum up this year's Festival. I'd like to thank everyone, including Fig Tree who designed this year's Festival image.' Sandra Hebron looks lovely in couture black dress to the knee with straps to the the shoulders and arms and gathered top, and tall black leather boots; her elegant light brown hair is cut page-boy style.

A 31-minute film is shown - the clip reel - with one-minute extracts from 30 films illustrating the scope of the Festival. In running order with brief comments on the chosen clips they are: Frost/Nixon (2008) - David Bowie's Fame is the soundtrack over a short summary of the build-up before UK journalist David Frost interviewed former US President the late Richard Nixon on tv. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - children in India rummage through a rubbish heap and run through dirty streets and rubbish chased by a policeman. W (2008) - In the wild West, a man hits someone in a car: 'You're a Bush, act like one' . Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson (2008) - a documentary clip with people talking about the late (suicided) American journalist of the title. Che aka Guerrilla (2008) - Two men, presumably Fidel Castro and Che Guevara smoke in a tent at night and speak Spanish, discussing Havana. Waltz with Bashir (2008) - anthem 'I bombed Sidon Today' sung as cars blown up; Lebanon is discussed; animation in washed-out colours with voice over. The Brothers Bloom (2008) - 'Were taking a steamer' says Robbie Coltrane's character - people are planning a heist in St Petersburg; cars blow up; action adventure. Franklyn (2008) - in a future society a detective - a man in a Spiderman-type mask - is investigating a faith called Duplex Ride; the scene's set in a bar that looks like an old church. The Secret of Moonacre - there's a Gothic-type house, and people in old-fashioned clothes, one an Alice-In-Wonderland-type girl; 'A little bit of magic has come back to the valley' says a voice. Genova (2008) - a car's being driven through a magnificent old city - Genova in Italy - with gorgeous buildings; a woman talks to a younger person in the car about St George being the patron saint of Genova. The Other Man - a woman and a man are having a relationship discussion; she asks him 'Do you want to sleep with someone else?'; there are intense close-ups. Caos calmo (2008) aka Quiet Chaos - 'What happened when you and your brother jumped in the sea?' sounds like shameless exposition; a woman and man talk intently in Italian. Easy Virtue - a girl looks through a telescope, and drops it, it's caught by a footman; it's a stately home in England; the family have tunnel-vision (literally); 'Mr John and his wife are about to arrive' - they do, but she's American; (this one looks brilliant). Sveitabrúðkaup (2008) aka Country Wedding - the clip is shot inside a car as a family travel to a wedding; bride and mother argue about the pearl earrings she'll wear, as they are of different sizes - will her ears look odd? Profils paysans: la vie moderne (2008) aka Modern Life - an elderly (?Vietnamese) couple sit in their restaurant kitchen in France talking to an interviewer, whose back is seen; about their lives, about when they married; they eat, and encourage the interviewer to. Hunger (2008) - the setting looks like a prison; a man is in his cell; he's naked to the waist; then queuing with others for civilian clothes; back in his cell, he has a fit of rage. Of Time and the City (2008) - Old news footage in black and white of a football match, the crowd, the players; with Noel-Coward-type-accented voice-over recalling those old days. Touki Bouki (1973) - Senegal, Africa; has a 1950s feel to the film colours; at the seaside, men in a pedalo, women in beach costumes; a woman's voice sings operatically over. Entre les murs (2008) aka The Class - a white male teacher of teenage girls is picked up on the names he gives characters in an example he's given; there's talk of honkies, whiteys; some pupils are black; one white girl pupil argues about white names being used instead of black ones. Shifty (2008) - a playground; men talk in East End London accents and spin round on roundabout straps. Tight Jeans (2008) 3 black men in jeans sit on a wall on a UK council estate (project); a boy walks past; they look at him, closely examine his bottom, and comment on his tight jeans. Hamlet 2 (2008) - a woman talks American in a bar; she's with two men (one played by Steve Coogan); they're all drunk and talking; 'We live in Tucson'. The Secret Life of Bees (2008) - Honey bees; a pink house where black women live; it's set in the past in America; a young white girl comes to them asking them to take her in. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) - a Spanish man and woman; a girl comes into their life; romantic overtones and looks like trouble coming. Achilles to kame (2008) aka Achilles and the Tortoise - Japanese girls pose in bikinis for a Japanese photographer; a man (in 'surrealist' style) bats dye over white circles. Beautiful Losers (2008) - A 1997 group show of independent artists; a man speaks about exhibiting them; with music over. 1234 (2008) - a band, four people, sing and talk between themselves; possibly in a village hall; one boy has glasses and is picked on. Lake Tahoe (2008) - Spanish language; a young man customer talks to a young woman shop assistant across the counter of her old-fashioned general store / tobacco shop; he's trying to explain what he wants; they look at each other. Tyson (2008) - former boxer Mike Tyson is filmed; he has a lisp; he's walking, he's in close-up; documentary-style clip as he talks. Quantum of Solace (2008) - (it looks stunning); Judi Dench's M is keen to stop James Bond; 'We have people everywhere'; James Bond (Daniel Craig) walks in shirt without jacket, with gun.