Auteur films and glamour on the red carpet
Julianne Moore, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover, and the members of the jury headed by Sean Penn will this evening lead the procession of stars making their way up the legendary Palace steps at the 61st edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which proudly maintains its position as the largest film event in the world.
With 55 international premieres among the 57 films presented in the Official Selection, a Directors’ Fortnight celebrating its 40th anniversary in style and a Critics’ Week that focuses on fresh talent, the Cannes Festival once again sets a very high standard.
The impressive line-up rises to the challenge highlighted by president Gilles Jacob. He commented: "The major festivals try hard to attract viewers with a competition that is as lively as possible and Cannes is entering a new phase because cinema is changing the way it travels between different territories."
Faced with the challenge of finding new talent for the future and with the aim of compensating for the absence of certain major directors, delegate general Thierry Frémaux took up the gauntlet and selected 10 filmmakers who will make their competition debut. A total of 22 titles will vie for the Palme d’Or and the festival is opening with a film by Fernando Meireilles.
From the youngest contender – Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó (33) – to veteran Clint Eastwood (77), the high calibre of the filmmakers is unquestionable, in a line-up headed by the Dardenne brothers and Soderbergh. The programme also features three French directors (Philippe Garrel, Arnaud Desplechin and Laurent Cantet), two Italian filmmakers (Paolo Sorrentino and Matteo Garrone), China’s Jia Zhang-ke, Brazil’s Walter Salles, Turkey’s Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Canada’s Atom Egoyan and US director James Gray.
There will also be excitement on the red carpet with the presence of a host of Hollywood stars, including Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Allen, Jack Black, Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Benicio Del Toro and many others. Quentin Tarantino will also attend the festival and give the Cinema Lesson.
European stars will also be out in force, including Penélope Cruz, Monica Bellucci, Franka Potente, Catherine Deneuve, Isabellle Huppert, Javier Bardem, Roman Polanski, Julia Ormond, Samantha Morton and more. Madonna and Diego Maradona will also put in an appearance.
The anniversary celebrations for the Directors’ Fortnight will be attended by a plethora of eminent directors, including Jim Jarmusch.
Behind the scenes, deals will be struck at the Film Market, which is bigger than ever and is set to exceed 10,000 participants. Those expected to attend come from around 95 different countries and have over 1,600 screenings programmed in the 33 theatres, 12 of which are digitally equipped.
This union between art and industry, glamour and pure cinematic pleasure make Cannes a major event, a benchmark and a hub of international film.
(Translated from French)
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