Hollywood screen legend Jean Simmons is set to take a starring role in Bradford Film Festival's opening gala.

Twice Oscar-nominated Jean, who starred in classic movies including Black Narcissus, Spartacus and Guys and Dolls during her career, will attend the opening night premiere at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television on Friday, March 14, to launch a two-week retrospective of her work.

Festival director Tony Earnshaw, pictured, said he was delighted that the star would be attending Bradford's ninth annual festival and confirmed she would follow in the footsteps of Lord Attenborough by receiving its lifetime achievement award.

Some of that work was filmed in and around Bradford in 1965 when she made Life at the Top - Bradford author John Braine's sequel to his influential Room at the Top, also filmed in the city.

At the festival launch yesterday, Mr Earnshaw said: "The Bradford Film Festival retrospective represents the first occasion Jean Simmons has been honoured by any organisation. Bradford Film Festival is proud to pay tribute to one of the greatest stars Britain has ever produced."

The actress, now 74, was known as the Rose of England during her Hollywood heyday and married heartthrob Stewart Granger in 1950. She was awarded the OBE earlier this year for her services to film and will take part in a talk discussing her life and career at Pictureville on Saturday, March 15.

Mr Earnshaw said: "This year's film festival is the ninth since the event began in 1995. Each year it grows, gets bigger, more ambitious and more important within the wider field of film festivals generally. BFF 2003 boasts more guests than ever before, 14 high-profile directors, producers, cinematographers, writers, musicians and documentarians, as well as the yet-to-be confirmed cast and crew members who regularly turn up."

Mr Earnshaw said that this year was the first time that all elements of the NMPFT would be brought together to showcase the festival.

He said: "Alongside the movies playing in the Pictureville and Cubby Broccoli we will be screening previews of new Imax films, museum experts will be giving talks in the Insight Collections and Research Centre and treasures from the TV Heaven archive will be playing throughout the festival fortnight. The NMPFT and its facilities are unique, nowhere else will audiences be able to watch and enjoy such a wide variety."

For more festival details visit its website at www.bradfordfilmfestival.org.uk.