PARIS, May 10 (V7N) — The curtain rises Tuesday on the world’s most illustrious film festival in Cannes, ushering in a two‑week spectacle of premieres, glittering red carpets, soirées, and haute couture.  

Twenty‑two contenders will vie for the coveted Palme d’Or, to be awarded May 23. Veterans such as Pedro Almodóvar (Spain), Hirokazu Kore‑eda (Japan), and Cristian Mungiu (Romania) face rising auteurs like Lukas Dhont (Belgium) and Léa Mysius (France). Anticipation surrounds Na Hong‑jin’s Hope, starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, and Kore‑eda’s tech‑infused Sheep in the Box. The jury, led by South Korean maestro Park Chan‑Wook, includes Hollywood icon Demi Moore.  

Unlike past editions showcasing Top Gun or Mission: Impossible, major US studios are absent. Analysts cite budget tightening, preference for controlled social‑media rollouts, and fear of harsh Cannes criticism.  

John Travolta defies the trend, unveiling his directorial debut Propeller One‑Way Night Coach, a nostalgic tale set in aviation’s golden era.  

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver headline Paper Tiger, while Rami Malek stars in The Man I Love. Javier Bardem, Renate Reinsve, Kristen Stewart, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, and Cate Blanchett will grace the Riviera. Barbra Streisand and Peter Jackson are slated for lifetime achievement honors.  

Celebrated director Andrey Zvyagintsev, who nearly succumbed to Covid and fled Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, presents Minotaur, a piercing drama on conscription and the Russian bourgeoisie.  

Eric Cantona is immortalized in a British documentary, while Argentina’s The Match revisits Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal in 1986.  

Steven Soderbergh’s John Lennon: The Last Interview transforms audio into film with archival imagery and controversial AI‑generated visuals of the late Beatle.  

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