THE CANNES film festival, the world’s top cinema showcase, rolled out the red carpet yesterday to welcome a bevy of movie megastars and A-list directors.
Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who co-stars with Russell Crowe in the opening film, Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, declared the 63rd edition of the glitzy Riviera festival open at a gala ceremony.
Minutes earlier, the festival took a new swipe at Iran, leaving an empty seat on stage at its gala opening for jailed Iranian director Jafar Panahi.
The nine members of the Cannes festival jury headed by US director Tim Burton swept onto the stage for the opening ceremony, leaving one chair symbolically empty for Panahi, who had been invited to join the jury.
Burton and the jury on May 23 will declare the winner of the festival’s coveted Palme d’Or.
A total 19 films have been selected to compete for the award among 55 feature-length movies being screened by the festival.
Sean Penn, the Rolling Stones, Naomi Watts, Woody Allen and Jean-Luc Godard are among A-list celebs expected in this chic French Riviera resort before the closing awards.
Among celebs attending the opening gala were Eva Longoria, Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Salma Hayek and Helen Mirren.
