The fifth annual Two River Film Festival will open Friday, kicking off three days of immersion in fine cinema featuring 24 films, 11 of them New Jersey premiere films.

Presented in partnership with Monmouth University in West Long Branch, the festival opens Nov. 2 with Julian Schnabel's powerful film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," which earned Schnabel Best Director at the 60th Cannes Film Festival.

Closing night films Nov. 4 will be the New Jersey premieres of "The Walker" with an all-star cast including Woody Harrelson, Lauren Bacall and Willem Dafoe; Think Film's powerful documentary "Nanking;" and Schnabel's concert film "Berlin."

This year the festival's Out of the Vault Selection is "Lawrence of Arabia," which will play at Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre and Red Bank's Clearview Cinemas. Lined up between the opening and closing selections is a program of documentary, animation and blockbuster films to challenge, provoke and entertain festival goers.

The schedule for Nov. 2 includes: "El Benny," "The Truth About Tooth," "A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar," "Into Great Silence," "Freeheld," and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

Nov. 3 screenings are: "Alosha," children/ family choice; "Tupperware"; "Making Trouble"; "Two Tickets to Paradise"; "Note By Note: The Making of the Steinway"; "Sensational City"; "Loops: A Portrait of Caddie's Life"; "McClaren's Negatives"; and Cannes award-winner "Persepolis."

On Nov. 4, the festival will screen: "A Walk to Beautiful," "All in This Tea," "Lawrence of Arabia," plus a panel discussion, "Does History Repeat Itself."

Screenings at the Clearview Cinemas in Red Bank Nov. 4 will include: "The Relationship Expert," "Nanking," "The Walker," "The Relationship Expert," and "Berlin."

On Monday, Nov. 19, the Two River Film Festival will present the Holocaust/ Genocide Signature Symposium 2007, "Preserving the Truth for the 21st Century: Combating Internet and Media Myths" at the Two River Theater in Red Bank.

For more information and registration, which is required, send and e-mail with your name, e-mail and phone number to Holocaustgen@aol.com or contact Toby Shylit Mack at (732) 536-8444. Admission is free for students.

The film "Darfur Diaries" will be screened, followed by a panel and the program "Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence."

Tickets to the 2007 Two River Film Festival can be purchased at www.boxoffice tickets.com/tworiverfilmfestival or at http://www.tworiverfilmfestival.com or by phone at (800) 494-8497.

Passes for the full three days of the festival are $200 each, two for $350. Passes for individual films at Pollak Theatre range from $30 to $10.

The theater information number is (732) 571-3512. Two River film passes will be honored at Clearview Cinemas. Individual tickets for Clearview Cinemas screenings will be available at the box office, located at 36 White St., Red Bank. Prices for Clearview screenings are $10, $7 for seniors. Clearview box office information is (732) 747-0335.

Two River Film Festival is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing quality film and filmrelated programs to Monmouth County. More information is available at www.tworiverfilmfestival.com.