The Cannes Film Festival is to the movie industry what the Tour de France is to cycling: a prestigious event that offers a mixture of tradition, history, professionalism and business. It takes place each year in the resort town of Cannes in southern France - a region whose glamorous image is a fine match for cinema and celebrity.

At this year's festival, the celebrity factor should be particularly evident during the opening film, "Midnight in Paris." One of its stars is Carla Bruni, wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Whoever is familiar with Sarkozy's love of public appearances can assume that he would not miss an event of this caliber. And the director of the film himself, Woody Allen, is also expected to be present.

The significance of the event is reflected by the security measures that surround it. Seven hundred police officers have been detailed to the festival, where the recent killing of Osama bin Laden has increased concerns.

"An international event of such a scale with so many celebrities, many of them Americans, represents a potential for real risk," a police spokesman told news agency AFP.

European heavyweights

Once the hype surrounding the stars has died down a bit, the spotlight will turn to the films themselves. Some of the world's most renowned directors are in the running to win the highly coveted Palme d'Or (Golden Palm), which goes to the director of the best feature film.

From Europe, this includes new motion pictures by Lars von Trier (Denmark, "Melancholia"), Pedro Almodovar (Spain, "The Skin I Live In"), Aki Kaurismäki (Finland, "Le Havre"), Nanni Moretti (Italy, "We Have a Pope"), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey, "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia"), and a film by the highly acclaimed Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("The Kid With a Bike").

"It's the strongest lineup in ages," Mark Cousins, a film critic and regular Cannes attendee, told Reuters news agency.

Representing Hollywood at the event is legendary director Terrence Malick ("The Tree of Life"), and Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike ("Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai"). France will feature several films, and there will also be a few surprises, such as debut film "Michael" by Austrian director Markus Schleinzer.

German cinema has received little attention in recent years, but director Andreas Dresen will nevertheless present his new film "Stopped on Track" - a drama about cancer and dealing with death.

Political statements

Also much-awaited is the French film "The Conquest," which is not competing for a prize. In this production, Director Xavier Durringer depicts five years of Nicolas Sarkozy's life before he became president. It focuses on his relationship with his ex-wife Cecilia and his rise to power in the 2007 election. One can assume that Sarkozy is awaiting the screening of this film on May 18 with great suspense.

A film from Iran could fuel the fire of political controversy. Directed by Jafar Panahi, who is currently under house arrest in Iran, it portrays his wait for a court ruling on his appeal against the sentence handed down to him in December 2010. Titled "This is Not a Film," it is due to be screened on May 20.

There is also a movie by another director currently serving a sentence in Iran, Mohammad Rasoulov. "Good Bye" portrays the story of a young lawyer in Tehran who attempts to obtain a visa to leave the country.

"That they send [two Iranian films] to Cannes, at the same time, the same year, when they face the same fate, is an act of courage along with an incredible artistic message," festival organizers Gilles Jacob and Thierry Fremaux said in a statement.

Two further films also hold the potential to ignite political discussions: "No More Fear," which deals with political unrest in Tunisia, and "18 Days," which is about political turbulence in Egypt.

Celebrities galore

This year's panel of judges includes US actor Robert De Niro, who will preside over the jury. Hollywood stars Uma Thurman and Jude Law are also on the panel, while A-listers such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz and Catherine Deneuve are expected to grace the red carpet.

Each year, Cannes nearly triples in population during the festival to 200,000 - not only due to the film screenings, but also to the international film market. During the 10-day event, more than 10,000 participants from over 100 countries haggle over the rights to thousands of films, many of them still in production.

Author: Jochen Kürten / ew

Editor: Kate Bowen