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It could mean the difference between a sedate night in Leicester Square with a couple of bobbies on patrol or the full crash-barrier/ mounted-police/ crowdcontrol experience. But that is the nature of Britain's biggest film festival. You never quite know who's going to breeze in to meet 'n' greet the punters.

"There will be around 400 film-makers in town throughout the festival," says Sandra Hebron, making her bow as Artistic Director of the RLFF this year.

"One of the most exciting things is that the audiences get an opportunity to talk to the film-makers. And you never know who might turn up at the last moment."

The next two weeks is the time when London's film-goers salivate over the celluloid feast spread before them from the National Film Theatre on the South Bank to the mighty Odeons of Leicester Square.

The Regus London Film Festival is the movie binge to end 'em all, with hundreds of new films from international film-making communities being screened from today until 21 November. The orgy of movies has led some commentators to suggest it is celluloid overkill and complain about festival fatigue.

"It is an incredibly broad range of titles," says Hebron. "But there is more to it than sheer quantity. The fact is we have created a buzz with films such as Divine Intervention and Russian Ark to the extent that they have sold out. Who would have thought a feature by Alexandr Sokurov would sell out the Odeon West End? It is the most pleasing thing you can imagine."

With the focus more on European and world movies and fewer Hollywood blockbusters, audiences may find themselves experimenting more adventurously with movies from Argentina, Brazil and Iran.

The audience has an unusual responsibility in that its response can make the difference between a UK distribution deal or not, as most of the movies will only be seen at the screenings available.

"Maybe five or six films leave the festival with a UK distribution deal because the distributors have seen the film with an enthusiastic audience," says Hebron.