What's on at the Boston International Film Festival

It never rains but it pours, they say; and in Boston it's drought or flood when it comes to film festivals. If you've recovered from the marathon sessions of the Gay and Lesbian Film/Video Festival, the Underground Film Festival of Boston, and the grueling Independent Film Festival of Boston, then get ready for the Boston International Film Festival. Now in its fifth year, the festival sets itself apart with its focus on world cinema, striving to promote international understanding by bringing a very diverse array of 92 films to Boston audiences.

One of the most promising offerings is One Long Night, a dark comedy about a Mexican-American reporter from California who gets caught up in a series of misadventures while on assignment in Mexico City. Imagine a gay version of After Hours as Jon Seda's intrepid reporter learns more than he ever wanted to know about the dark underbelly of the city's nightlife, encountering criminals, getting kidnapped by drag queens and meeting a sultry performer who dresses him as a woman to sneak him out of danger.

Day on Fire offers a more dramatic take on urban angst, this time in New York City. Martin Donovan and Olympia Dukakis head the cast in this tale of connections missed and found amongst friends and strangers when lives are touched by a suicide bombing in Israel. Speaking of name-brand actors, Sharon Stone and Timothy Hutton star in When a Man Falls in the Forest, a somber examination of four lonely people and who they choose to embrace or abandon their private grief. Dreams and realities collide in Vanaja, an intense story of a girl's coming-of-age in rural India. With excellent performances, keen insight and some nice cinematography, this one is a must-see.

On a lighter note there's Whole Train, a gritty ensemble drama about a team of German graffiti artists that's propelled by a fantastic soundtrack and winning performances; Her Best Move, a family friendly flick reminiscent of Bend It Like Beckham about a teen soccer star who finds life off the field to be much more challenging than scoring goals; and Ireland's Speed Dating, a quirky comedy about a man unlucky in love who becomes addicted to speed dating.

On the documentary front, the searing Facing Sudan looks at the violence and atrocities of the war-torn country through the eyes of Sudanese refugees. Rick Ray's 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama documents his trip to His Holiness's monastery in a fascinating film that's part travel movie, part philosophy and part autobiography. Also look for What's Going On Up There? , a look at man's attempts to explore space from the perspective of scientists, ordinary citizens and everyone in between.

One thing that sets this festival apart from others is that it doesn't relegate short films to the ghettoes of shorts programs. Most feature films are preceded by a couple of shorts. Look for the bizarre Hungarian Salami, the hilarious Script Cops, the creepy Aurore, and the touching Bombay Skies.

The Boston International Film Festival runs June 6-13 at AMC/Loews Boston Common, 175 Tremont St., Boston. Tickets $10, festival pass $75. For information and showtimes, call 617.482.3900 or visit www.bifilmfestival.com.