The buzz on the film festival circuit is that the dearth of independent filmmaking caused by the recession has made festival programming increasingly difficult. But at the 2009 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the show will go on.

Between today and Nov. 8, the 24th edition of the venerable event will unspool more than 100 feature-length and short films from 30 countries. The festivities kick off tonight with ``Timer,'' a romantic comedy about the eternal quest for the perfect mate, and will close with the Israeli comedy ``A Matter of Size,'' about a group of overweight people that gives up counting calories and takes up sumo wrestling instead.

In between: nightly screenings, parties, award galas and opportunities to meet Matthew Broderick, Kevin McCarthy, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Jai White, Joyce DeWitt and Frank Vincent, among others

Here are reviews of some of this week's films and a schedule of events. For more information, visit www.fliff.com.

HERE AND THERE

(unrated) * * ½

Robert (David Thornton), the central protagonist of Here and There, is a 53-year-old failed musician with only one album on his resume, and that one only sold 200 copies (he bought 10). He is a sad-sack New Yorker, evicted from his apartment and staying with a cranky friend (Cyndi Lauper, in a cameo) on the verge of kicking him out. Robert is desperate for cash and a jolt of ambition -- for something to reanimate his inner muse.

That jolt arrives in the form of Branko (Branislav Trifunovic), a Serbian immigrant who offers Robert $5,000 to travel to Serbia and marry his girlfriend, so she'll have a green card and be able to move legally to New York.

After some hesitation (``Isn't there like a war going on in Serbia now?''), Robert reluctantly accepts the offer and sets off on his life-changing journey. First-time writer-director Darko Lungulov channels the spirit of Jim Jarmusch (right down to Robert's eye-catching pompadour) as he alternates between Robert's adventures abroad and Branko's hustling in New York to come up with the cash to meet his end of the bargain.

Here and There has a droll sense of humor (``Welcome to Serbia, a country in transition!'' the cab driver exclaims) that is a perfect match for Robert's gradual awakening from his comatose state, leading to an unexpected connection with Branko's mother (Mirjana Karanovic). The movie is slight and barely leaves a trace, but it weaves a peculiar spell as it unspools. Lungulov is a talent who bears watching.

Cast: David Thornton, Mirjana Karanovic, Branislav Trifunovic, Jelena Mrdja. Writer-director: Darko Lungulov. Producers: George Lekovic, Darko Lungulov, David Nemer. Running time: 80 minutes. In English and Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. Vulgar language. Plays at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Cinema Paradiso.

HUNGRY YEARS

(unrated) * *

Ellen (Tah von Allmen) is a nutritionist who counsels her clients on how to savor the pleasures of eating without consuming food or calories (``Food meditations have been really working for me!''). Neil (Isaak James) is an inventor looking for investors to fund the creation of a landmine-disarming robot.

Dale (Michael J. Burg) is a powerful oil-company executive and amateur bodybuilder who likes ordering used panties and T-shirts on eBay. His wife Joyce (Karen Culp) is the author of a bestselling book arguing that autism is the next step in human development.

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