Watch a trailer of Times Gala film Lions for Lambs

A dazzling variety of Hollywood stars promise to make next month's Times BFI 51st London Film Festival the best yet.

Taking to the stage to discuss their careers and work will be Wes Anderson, Laura Linney, Steve Buscemi, Robert Rodriguez and Paul Greengrass, while other expected guests include Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, David Cronenberg, David Lynch, Naomi Watts, Sienna Miller, Halle Berry, Ang Lee, Jason Schwartzman and Sean Penn.

Announcing the programme at a West End cinema this morning, artistic director Sandra Hebron unveiled 184 features and 133 short films to be shown between Wednesday 17 October and Thursday 1 November, plus Screen Talks from actress Laura Linney and masterclasses from acclaimed directors including Harmony Korine.

The festival opens with the UK premiere of Eastern Promises, the London set thriller from David Cronenberg that reunites the director with his A History of Violence leading man Viggo Mortensen. Naomi Watts (King Kong) and Vincent Cassel (Ocean's Thirteen) also star.

Wes Anderson closes the festival with the UK premiere of The Darjeeling Limited. The film stars Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman as three brothers who set off by train on a bonding trip across India, but struggle when their 'spiritual journey' veers off-course, and they find themselves stranded in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer and a laminating machine. Anderson, director of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, will also give an interview as part of the Screen Talks series.

Stars Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep are expected to attend The Times Gala world premiere of Robert Redford's contemporary war on terror thriller Lions of Lambs, showing on Monday 22, October. Redford's sixth film as a director, the movie traces a number of tighly entwined stories centered on Afghanistan.

Other Gala films to watch out for include Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro and David Duchovny in Things We Lost In The Fire, Cristian Mungui's Cannes Palme d'Or winner, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Michael Moore's health care documentary Sicko.

Other Gala films include UK premieres of Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner winner Lust, Caution, an erotic espionage thriller from director Ang Lee, Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, starring Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett, and Brad Pitt in the eagerly awaited Assassination of Jesse James.

Hosting seven World, 29 European and 128 UK premieres, this year's London Film Festival welcomes familiar faces and newcomers, showcasing established and emerging talent throughout the 16 day celebration.

British filmmaking talent is strongly represented by Nick Broomfield (Battle For Haditha), Richard Attenborough (Closing The Ring) Penny Woolcock (Exodus), as well as by newcomers Simon Welsford (Jetsam) and Joanna Hogg (Unrelated), and a selection of documentaries and shorts.

The programme also includes the latest work from leading directors Alexander Sokurov (Alexandra), Sean Penn (Into The Wild) Michael Haneke (Funny Games), Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Four Women), and Todd Haynes (I'm Not There).

Commenting on the Festival line-up, LFF director Sandra Hebron said: “In a very strong year for world cinema, we are delighted to be able to present such a wide ranging and high quality programme of films and special events, in which work by internationally renowned directors sits comfortably alongside that from many exciting new talents. We look forward to welcoming filmmakers, audiences and press and industry delegates alike to our two week celebration of the best, most creative and original films of the year.”

Robert Thomson, Editor of The Times, added: "The list of works gathered for The Times BFI London Film Festival is a tribute to the organisers and an indication that the country's lovers of film will be very busy in late October and early November. There will be the famous and the infamous, the stars and the hangers-on, but there will also be many a film whose intrinsic worth will broaden the mind and bring a smile to the face."

The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival runs from October 17– November 1. Tickets can be booked online at www.lff.org.uk or by telephone on 020 7928 3232 from Saturday 29 September.

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