Apart from the Oscars, what are the other major award ceremonies

A.� There are�hundreds of awards ceremonies the world over that are designed to mark the achievements of actors, writers, producers and directors.

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Q.� Such as

A.� One of the biggest events is the Cannes Film Festival, which takes place in May in the South of France. It is one of the most important media events in the world, with over 4,000 journalists, half of whom belong to the foreign-language press. Their presence ensures it is one of the most important international events in the film industry's calendar. Press screenings are held before official presentations for the films in the competition. And, the festival is only open to film professionals and only they have access to the Palais des Festivals.

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Q.� What else

A.� Don't forget The Golden Globe Awards. Now in their 58th year, they honour outstanding achievements in motion pictures. The Hollywood Foreigh Press Association is one of the world's most successful and best known organisations of foreign correspondents. Based in LA, its members report on Hollywood events around the world. The awards ceremony usually takes place at the Beverly Hills Hilton� and it is broadcast live on TV.

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Q.� Isn't there some actors' award for actors by actors

A.� On 11 March, there's the seventh annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. This is supposed to be one of the industry's most prized honours and they are supposed to be the only awards to exclusively honour individual performers, the entire ensemble of a drama series or the cast of a motion picture. First aired on NBC in 1995, George Burns then received a Lifetime Achievers Award. Last year's recipient of such an honour was Sydney Poitier. This year's presentation will be attended by top names such as Russell Crowe, Juliette Binoche and Jamie Bell.

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Q.� Anything closer to home

A.� The European Film Awards 2000 was a prestigious event. The ceremony organised by the European Film Academy was hosted by Rupert Everett and Antoine de Caines, and one such winner was the Icelandic star Bjork for her performance in Dancer in the Dark.

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Q.� What about in the UK

A.� The most obvious is August's acclaimed Edinburgh Festival and the Fringe when the city decends into a frenzy of weird and wonderful art. Then there's the Birmingham International Film and Television Festival, the Leeds International Film Festival, The London International Film Festival and the Southampton International Film Festival.

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By Katharine MacColl