VANCOUVER — Trucking industry experts figure UPS has been bitten by the movie bug.

Last year’s mega-hit movie Slumdog Millionaire featured a song called "Paper Planes" by MIA, in which the chorus sends the subliminal message "We pack and deliver like UPS Trucks."

Hard to imagine better advertising than that.

The last time a courier had so much tinsel-town time was when a Fedex Plane was such a crashing success in Tom Hanks’ film Cast Away.

Starting this week, UPS will be strutting its stuff for the star-studded set in a different way.

The carrier was named the official courier of the Vancouver International Film Festival, (VIFF) which runs from Oct 1 to the 16. 

Organizers expect 150,000 people to attend approximately 640 screenings of 377 films from over 70 countries.

"It’s no small feat managing the delivery of such precious cargo for the Vancouver International Film Festival, and we’re honored to offer our services for the task," said Mike Tierney, president, UPS Canada. "We’re committed to getting the job done right – – and on time."

The films will travel around the world by boat, plane and ground in order to make it to the festival on time.

One Japanese item, for instance, called Toad’s Oil, began its trip to by air from Tokyo, stopping at Narita, Japan; Anchorage, Alaska; Louisville, Kentucky; and Seattle, Washington; before being trucked across the border to Vancouver in time for its screening.

VIFF organizers use several UPS services, especially UPS Quantum View tracking system, which VIFF uses to manage shipments online. With Quantum View, VIFF organizers can monitor which films are coming in, the estimated time of delivery and any duty or taxes.