At a press conference held in Paris yesterday, the Cannes Film Festival unveiled the powerhouse lineup for its 64th edition to be held May 11 to 21 in the French Riviera resort town. The list of films playing in the Main Competition section is by a mix of established veterans and strong newcomers. Among the major auteurs represented are such established arthouse names as Pedro Almodovar, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Bruno Dumont, Terrence Malick and Lars Von Trier.

American films, usually a hit or miss affair at Cannes, are strongly represented this year. The most highly anticipated title is TREE OF LIFE, recluse director Terrence Malick’s latest film with an all-star cast that includes such marquee names as Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. Other American films gracing the Croisette are DRIVE, the first English language film of Danish cult director Nicolas Winding Refn (PUSHER), as well as Jodie Foster’s THE BEAVER, which is making its international debut in Cannes after an uneven world premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival last month. The film stars Mel Gibson, in his first film project since his much-publicized public meltdown, and Foster herself. The latest Johnny Depp extravaganza, PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, will screen out of competition.

Several filmmakers are returning to Cannes with their latest works, including Joseph Cedar (Israel), Takashi Miike (Japan), Aki Kaurismaki (Finland), Nuri Birge Ceylan (Turkey), Paolo Sorrentino (Italy), Nanni Moretti (Italy) and Alain Cavalier (France). Women directors, who are often snubbed, are strongly represented, with the latest films from Lynne Ramsay (United Kingdom), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Maiwenn (France) and Julia Leigh (Australia). Among those marking their first time in the Festival’s prestigious competition section are Brillante Mendoza (The Phillipines), Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece), Carlos Reygadas (Mexico) and Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan). For the full list, visit: www.festival-cannes.fr

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Circuit Editor