There is a pretty mixed group this year on the jury for the 57th Cannes Film Festival to be held May 12-23. Its headed by Quentin TARANTINO, (USA) with directors, writers and actors including Jerry SCHATZBERG (Director - USA) and TSUI Hark (Director - Hong-Kong). Since there are few women behind the camera, actors such as Tilda SWINTON (Actress - UK) Kathleen TURNER (Actress - USA) and Emmanuelle BEART (Actress - France) join the team. The films will be in their hands for this prestigious festival slated for May 12 through 23 and they will decide on the major prizes for the official Cannes selection of 18 films.

Laura Morante will serve as host - actress from My Son's Room (by Nanni Moretti) and The Dancer Upstairs (John Malkovich). (Spain/Pedro ALMODÓVAR) will be OPENING (Off Competition) the festival with: LA MALA EDUCACIÓN (Bad Education) a semi biography of the gender-bending director who grew up in a Catholic school during Franco's regime. Closing up (Off Competition): will be DE-LOVELY a biopic about Cole Porter, played by Kevin Kline, starring Ashley Judd (directed by Irwin WINKLER).

There were more feature films than ever sent to Cannes this year, an increase of 42.5% due to the digital revolution. The themes at Cannes this year include love, comedy, genre films, and films with political themes including identity politics. The official selection includes Wong Kar Wai's anticipated, 2046 a sci fi thriller set in the future, 50 years after Hong Kong's independence from GB. There are films from veterans such as Walter SALLES DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (Motorcycle Diaries) based on the journals of Che Guevara Joel and Ethan COEN THE LADYKILLERS a remake of the 1955 comedy and Emir KUSTURICA LA VIE EST UN MIRACLE (Life is a Miracle) about a railway this is built for tourists during wartime
Michael Moore's new film is sure to raise the heat with Fahrenheit 9/11: 'the temperature where freedom burns'. And Stephen HOPKINS will tell it all in THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS with Geoffrey Rush as Sellers and Charlize Theron as Britt Eklund. There are also nine feature newcomers to Cannes including - Agnčs Jaoui Comme Une Image a story seen through the eyes of a young teenage woman.

In the OFF COMPETITION screenings another welcome veteran with be Jean-Luc GODARD for NOTRE MUSIQUE and just to show that Cannes is a little bit about everything Terry Zwifoff's Bad Santa will also be screened.

There will be master classes in film scoring by Lalo Shifrin who did the soundtrack to Dirty Harry, Bullitt and Rush Hour, an acting class for the first time by Swedish actor Max von Sydow, and cinema lessons by director Stephen Frears of Dirty Pretty Things. Cannes Classics presents a tribute to Brazilian films, and Buster Keaton.

This year's Cannes is looking very good. The media spotlight is increasing and the pulse is rising. Makes you nervous just to think about it. But after the festival is over the jet lag will start for when the films get to your local theatre or home video.


For Movie Magazine, this is Moira Sullivan, Stockholm SWEDEN

© 2004 - Moira Sullivan - Air Date: 5/04