"It's something I thought would be good to bring the audience into the Film Festival - not bring them in as in make them come more, but make them feel part of it more," explained Eden Court film programmer and film festival director Paul Taylor.

Instead of a specially selected jury as at Cannes, it will be up to the Inverness audience to decide which of the 30 films screened at Eden Court between Wednesday 11th and Sunday 15th November merits the award.

"They will get a form before each film and can rate it out of five. Then I'll use some secret formula to decide which one is the winner," Taylor explained.

At stake is the Inverness Film Festival Audience Award, which has been specially designed by Harris-based artist Steve Dilworth. The bronze sculpture includes in its centre a phial of air from the Outer Hebrides which, in an appropriately cinematic link, is the landscape Stanley Kubrick used to depict Mars in the classic "2001, a Space Odyssey".

The award winner will be announced before the closing night gala screening, meaning that Viking era adventure "Valhalla Rising", which was filmed in the Highlands, will be the one film screened at the seventh Inverness Film Festival to be ineligible for the award.

"I didn't want to have everyone hanging about after the film waiting for me to work out who the winner was," Taylor explained. "It should be good though. I'm looking forward to it and seeing what the audience pick."

Last year's trial run saw the Eden Court audience choose "Time to Die", a Polish film about a 91-year-old woman who finally becomes mistress of her own home, as its favourite screening in spite of opposition including new films from Colin Firth, comic Steve Coogan and Nairn's own Tilda Swinton, so the award has an open field.

However, one film has already emerged as clear favourite this year in terms of pre-sales.

Swedish thriller "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", one of a dozen films receiving its Scottish premiere at next week's film festival, has all but sold out with only a few tickets remaining for next Thursday's screening. The book on which the film is based has already become a British bestseller along with the other books in the late author Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy.

Inverness Film Festival director Paul Taylor.

The festival opens next Wednesday with Australian drama "The Boys Are Back", with Clive Owen already tipped as a potential Oscar nominee for his role as a sportswriter turned single parent.

Other films include the latest big screen productions from Joel and Ethan Coen ("A Serious Man"), whose last Inverness Film Festival appearance was the Scottish premiere of multi-Oscar winner "No Country For Old Men", and Stephen Poliakoff ("Glorious 39").

Among the other Scottish Premieres will be "44 Inch Chest", which stars Ray Winstone, Joanne Whalley and John Hurt, Matt Damon as an amateur spy in "The Informant!" and Foreign Language Oscar winner "Departures".

There will also be a special tribute to Bill Douglas with two days of film and documentary screenings and discussions dedicated to one of the finest film directors Scotland has ever produced.

Newer Scottish talent will be represented by directors Mark Stirton with Aberdeen set black comedy "One Day Removals" and Marc de Launay, whose debut "Dark Nature" brings horror to the Highlands. This year's festival will also show the feature directing debut from leading British actor David Morrissey, who will join festival-goers on Saturday 14th November to introduce his film, "Don't Worry About Me", and take part in a question and answer session afterwards.

There will also be an opportunity to enjoy some of the finest Scottish short films of the year, as almost every main feature screening is preceded by a brilliant short film from a Scottish film-maker, including a film from former Inverness Film Festival co-director Matt Lloyd.

Away from the film screenings themselves there will be a programme of educational activities for all ages, including a schools programme featuring specially selected screenings.

"New Town Killers" director Richard Jobson will hold a digital film-making masterclass and there will be a two-day intensive script workshop with experts from The Script Factory, while special effects and make up expert Tom Lauten, whose credits include Peter Jackson's "King Kong" remake and "The Chronicles of Narnia", will be offering a unique insight into the world of animatronic creatures.

* See today's Inverness Courier for the full listings guide.

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