Tuesday August 19, 1997

By Jeffrey Hodgson

TORONTO (Reuter) - "Seven Years In Tibet" has been selected to close the Toronto International Film Festival and star Brad Pitt will attend the screening, organizers said Tuesday.

The Jean-Jacques Annaud-directed epic about mountain climber and adventurer Heinrich Harrer will make its world premiere as the festival's closing night gala.

A total of 281 films from 58 countries will be screened at the festival, which runs from September 4 to 13. Organizers released the final lineup for the festival Tuesday.

Other films selected for gala screenings include "Wings of the Dove", based on the Henry James novel and starring Helena Bonham Carter, and "Chinese Box" the latest film by "Smoke" director Wayne Wang.

Sci-fi thriller "Gattaca" staring Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, historic drama "Artemisia" and "The Assignment" starring Aidan Quinn round out the additions to the gala lineup, which this year totals 18 films.

Stars expected to attend the festival include "Seven Years" co-star David Thewlis, Steve Martin, Kevin Spacey, supermodel Claudia Schiffer, Robert Duvall, and Kevin Kline.

"It will be star studded," said festival director Piers Handling. "In terms of the directors, I think one of the things we're noticing this year is just about every director that has a film in the festival is going to be here."

Handling said this year's lineup is one of the strongest ever. The festival will include 233 feature films, with 141 of them making their world or North American premieres.

Other festival selections announced Tuesday include Duvall's directorial debut "The Apostle", Hal Hartley's "Henry Fool", and David Mamet's "The Spanish Prisoner".