Oliver Stone's W gains rave reviews at European film festival

Every year the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki holds its international film festival attracting film makers and fans from around the world making the event a show case both for local talent and an opportunity for smaller independent productions to gain coverage.

This year's event has also included masterclasses by Oliver Stone, Takeshi Kitano, Terrance Davis and many others.

Stone, who was presenting his biopic of outgoing US president, Goerge W. Bush talked of his personal impressions of the president in a press conference on Tuesday. He admitted to being impressed by leader's confidence and conviction whilst Bush was governor of Texas, calling him a "force of nature".

However, Stone expressed his doubts over the course America had taken during Bush's two-term presidency adding that the country had now become a "military empire".

W, which stars Josh Brolin as George W. Bush, Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush, James Cromwell as Bush Sr and Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, has garnered warm reviews and marks a return to form for the director after commercial misteps such as Alexander.

The thousands who had waited hours in the bitter cold to see the Greek premiere of Stone's film were warm in their praise for the production.