What's going on: Australian film festival.

Touting their own culture, their own cinema and their own way of life is the job of any self-respecting embassy, and the Australian Embassy in Mexico takes its turn at the tables with a film festival in late April.

What sets this festival apart is the caliber of stars on display in a variety of low-budget films. Russell Crowe as a tortured young homosexual, Heath Ledger as a street kid and Cate Blanchett as a bride-to-be are just a few of the marquee roles on display in the event that will run for three weeks in Cuernavaca and Mexico City.

"This is our major promotion of Australian culture to Mexico," said Australian Embassy cultural attache Greta Nielsen, who is coordinating the event.

Following tours in Barcelona and Buenos Aires, the festival features 10 films chock full of dramatic sensations from Down Under. No, there is no Nicole Kidman, but the bevy of stars compensates for the redhead's absence.

Among the films being screened are "The Sum of Us" in which Crowe--years prior to becoming one of Hollywood's most marketable names--plays a young bachelor searching for true same-sex love. Not exactly the role with which most of us identify Crowe, who gained international acclaim as a buff math professor ("A Beautiful Mind") and a Roman warrior (Academy Award-winning "Gladiator").

However, this is the nature of smaller film festivals, in which struggling young actors, directors and screenwriters get a chance at exposure. Granted, most of these films have been out for several years--"The Sum of Us" was released in 1994--but they do provide a window into Australian life and support an industry operating in the shadow of all-powerful Hollywood.

Blanchett and Ledger's films also came before their respective star turns stateside. "Two Hands" (with Ledger) was featured at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, and "Thank God He Met Lizzie" (with Blanchett) was released to critical acclaim in 1997.

Cinemex is hosting the festival, which will kick off at the Cinemex Diana in Cuernavaca on April 17. From there, it will move to the capital, specifically Cinemex Casa de Arte (April 24-30) and Cinemex Altavista (May 1-8).

The festival highlights a month-long series of events put on by the Australian diplomatic contingent, which includes food and wine tastings and a match race between distaff sprinters Mexican Ana Guernava and Australian Cathy Freeman (tentatively scheduled for May 3).

Although Freeman won Olympic gold in Sydney and wines from the outback continue to be enjoyed by connoisseurs worldwide, this festival centers on what is arguably Australia's most celebrated export--film stars.