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Salma and her new man in Sydney


On 23 February 2004
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Salma Hayek and her new boyfriend Josh Lucas traded Hollywood glamour for Down Under charm when they stepped out for the Tropfest film festival in Sydney.

The Tinseltown couple came along to judge the event, which is the world's largest celebration of short films. And Salma, 37, had extra reason to visit the country, because her new man is currently filming the action thriller Stealth there. "I'm excited about being a judge," she said. "We have a lot of these festivals, but this is my first time in Australia."

The sultry actress and director, who once said she'd only get married when she found a man with more cojones than her, dated another actor, Ed Norton, until they split last year. Currently shooting an action comedy, After The Sunset,, with Pierce Brosnan, Salma looked thoroughly happy enjoying Sydney with Josh, 32, at her side.

American actress Jessica Biel also came along for the event, and she was clearly taken aback by the huge crowds. Around 100,000 people turned out for a public screening in Sydney's Domain park, and more people joined in live "simulcasts" at other cities around the country. "I thought it was going to be much smaller," admitted the Rules Of Attraction star. "It's really cool because it just seems like it's bringing everybody together."

Since its inception in 1993, when just a few dozen people showed up, Tropfest has grown into a film festival of international renown. Previous judges include Russell Crowe, Ewan McGregor, Keanu Reeves and Nicole Kidman.

Photo: © Alphapress.com
Salma and her hunky new beau were joined by British actor Alan Cumming (right) at the festival. Josh is currently filming the action thriller Stealth in Australia
Photo: © Alphapress.com
The Mexican actress said she was "very excited" to be visiting the country for the first time