14/04/2003 - Italian actress succeeds Virginie Ledoyen as this year's "Mistress of Ceremonies" and also stars in the world premiere of Matrix- Reloaded

With less than a month to go before the start of the 56th Cannes Film Festival (14-25 May), the name of the official presenter was announced in a press release issued by French pay-TV, Canal+. This year that honour will go to an Italian actress, Monica Bellucci, who succeeds last year's "Mistress of Ceremonies", Virginie Ledoyen. Past presenters have included French film icons like Jeanne Moreau and Isabelle Huppert.
Italy’s best known international actress will also feature in one of the festival’s most eagerly-awaited events, the world premiere – out of competition – of Larry and Andy Wachowski’s Matrix-Reloaded, scheduled for the evening of 14 May.

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This year’s jury will be presided over by director Patrice Chéreau and includes, according to a statement made by her agent, Indian actress Aishwarya Rai (Devdas). According to “Variety”, Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times will close the festival. The film was recently restored to its original splendor and is part of the Chaplin catalogue bought up by French distributor Marin Karmitz, the head of MK2. In October 2002, Karmitz also released the restored version of Chaplin’s masterpiece, The Great Dictator, both theatrically and in DVD, after premiering the film at the 2002 Berlinale.
The full Cannes programme will be made public at the official press conference on 23 April.

(Translated from French)