CALGARY - The latest fare from Penelope Cruz, Heath Ledger, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta will topline this year's Calgary International Film Festival.

But the true star of the event, which goes Sept. 22 to Oct. 1, will be Alberta itself, according to festival executive director Jacqueline Dupuis. "This year is really our putting a stake in the ground as far as our commitment to the Alberta film industry."

And specifically, the western genre with which the province is closely identified with -- from Unforgiven and Open Range to Brokeback Mountain and 2007's The Assassination of Jesse James starring Brad Pitt.

Hence two festival programs -- Cowboy Cool and Into The Western -- are devoted to all things oaters.

"We support the western and hopefully that will create a compelling niche that will put us on the international map as a destination festival."

By playing into the city's broader image -- thanks to the Stampede -- she says festival organizers hope to carve out a niche for themselves amid their North American counterparts. "If you want to see American independent film, you go to Sundance. If you want the big premieres, you go to Toronto. We want to be the premiere ground for westerns ... Why wouldn't we want to do what we do best, which is show off our heritage and landscape?"

Dupuis spoke to the Sun prior to yesterday's official unveiling of the festival's lineup. More than 300 films -- including shorts and documentaries -- will be screened over 10 days.

And all the talk of westerns shouldn't dissuade people who prefer more urbane entertainment. If anything, this year's event has added "breadth and depth to the content that surrounds the festival, which is super-important," Dupuis explains.

"We want to have something for everyone, but that doesn't mean being all things to all people."

The festival's opening night film is The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, which opened the Toronto film fest this week. It's from the same filmmakers responsible for the 2001 breakout hit Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.

Gala presentations include Comeback Season, a comedy from director Bruce McCulloch starring Liotta; The Last Door -- a drama starring Garcia and Angela Bassett that was shot in Calgary in 2003; Volver, starring Penelope Cruz and directed by Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar; and Snowcake, with Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Ann Moss.

Other notable entries to look out for include Sundance festival favourites Half Nelson starring Canadian Ryan Gosling and Dreamland with Agnes Bruckner.

Ledger, far from Brokeback Mountain, stars in the Australian-produced love story Candy.

Another highlight? Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, a scene-for-scene recreation of the classic 1981 adventure that took its young filmmakers seven years to complete on a shoestring budget. Eventually the film became a cult sensation, drawing the attention of even Raiders director Steven Spielberg. The filmmakers will be in attendance for a Q & A session following the screening Sept. 26 at the Uptown.

They won't be the only film professionals in town. As part of the Film Talks series, happening at the Glenbow Museum throughout the festival, DreamWorks animators Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson will be chatting up the studio's first short film First Flight, while composer John Dooley (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Da Vinci Code) will be discussing film scoring.

Naturally, you can't talk about a film festival without wondering which, if any, celebrities you might bump into.

Dupuis expects some actors from the above films to attend, but downplays the chances Calgary would ever become a hub for Hollywood A-listers. "We don't necessarily get the star crowd. Toronto gets it because that's where stars go to promote their films, period. We do get the odd star ... but it's not a sustainable model."

Overall, Dupuis says the festival, which attracted 45,000 moviegoers last year, is aiming for "better, not bigger."

Tickets and passes for the festival go on sale today. For a complete list of titles, go to www.calgaryfilm.com.