2006 Cannes Film Festival Preview

'Da Vinci Code' Debuts, Almodovar Competes

(CBS) 

The Un Certain Regard films — mostly from new filmmakers or seasoned pros who are experimenting with new forms — will compete for a separate prize. The first film in the selection will be "Paris Je T'aime," a series of five-minute love stories filmed against the background of the City of Lights by 20 different international directors including France's Gérard Depardieu, Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron, and American filmmakers Gus Van Sant and Joel & Ethan Coen.

Awards will be handed out at the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, May 28. The award for the best film in the Un Certain Regard selection will be given in a special ceremony the previous day.

In addition to the Official Selection, the festival will offer both a shorts and film schools competition, a classic films series, and outdoor screenings for festival goers as well as locals.

Restored prints of several important films will be screened at the festival, including Sergei M. Eisenstein's 1927 drama "Oktyabr," John Ford's Western "The Searchers" and Oliver Stone's 1986 war epic "Platoon." Stone is also expected to debut footage from his upcoming September 11 drama, "World Trade Center."

As always, the festival will be a star-studded event. Celebrities scheduled to attend the parties, red carpet premieres and international press conferences include Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Penelope Cruz, Kirsten Dunst, Judy Davis, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, The Rock, Sean William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Gérard Depardieu, Vincent Lindon, Fanny Ardant, Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Ben Gazzara, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gena Rowlands, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Kris Kristofferson.

Other Festival Highlights

The All the Cinemas of the World program is offering an exhibition showcase of films from seven new countries: Russia, Israel, Singapore, Switzerland, Venezuela, Tunisia and Chile.

The International Village, which promotes the world film industries, is welcoming 11 new countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong, India, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Thailand.

The Short Film Corner, dedicated to their promotion, presents 800 works from nearly 50 countries, for the most part unreleased, and holds numerous thematic roundtables.

Actress Gena Rowlands will teach the Actors Master Class and director Sidney Pollack will conduct the Cinema Master Class. He will also screen his new documentary, "Sketches of Frank Ghery."

The official feature film jury includes: jury president and Chinese director Wong Kar Wai, Italian actress Monica Bellucci, English actress Helena Bonham Carter, Argentinean director Lucrecia Martel, Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, American actor Samuel L. Jackson, French director Patrice Leconte, English director-actor Tim Roth and Palestinian director Elia Suleiman.

The official Cinefondation and short films jury includes: jury president and Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky, French actress Sandrine Bonnaire, German actor Daniel Bruhl, Malian director Souleymane Cisse and Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner.