World cinema heavyweights head to Cannes

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Heavyweight directors of world cinema are squaring off in the hunt for honors at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Among them are Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee, Pedro Almodovar, Jane Campion, Ken Loach and Lars von Trier. But first "UP", the animated adventures of a cranky old man and a stowaway kid in a flying house.

Heavyweight directors of world cinema are squaring off in the hunt for honors at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It's the story of a curmudgeonly widower who sets off to South America in a house carried aloft by thousands of helium balloons. Not only is it the first animated movie to open Cannes, it's also the first 3-D experience as well.

Thierry Fremaux, Cannes Festival director said, "If it's, for example, if it's a year of big names it's not a year maybe of discoveries, but last year was a year of discoveries (and) maybe next year will be again a discoveries year. And so this year we had the opportunity to ask Pixar to come for the opening night and, of course, it looks like the ideal opening night film"

While organisers deliberately chose a lighter movie to open things, the big-name line-up was at least partly a coincidence, said festival director Thierry Fremaux. The 20 directors with films in the competition include four past winners of the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

Tarantino returns with 'Inglourious Basterds', starring Brad Pitt in a 'Dirty Dozen'-style World War II saga. And, Campion's period drama 'Bright Star' has Ben Whishaw as British poet John Keats.

Von Trier's 'Antichrist' features Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg in the story of a troubled marriage that turns for the worst during a trip to the woods. Loach is back with 'Looking for Eric', in which former soccer star Eric Cantona plays himself as the personal hero of a postman whose life is spinning downhill.

Also in the competition, Ang Lee offers 'Taking Woodstock', with Emile Hirsch and Liev Schreiber. It's a music-soaked romp centered on the famous 1969 rock festival. Almodovar reteams with Penelope Cruz for 'Broken Embraces', the story of a writer recounting a tragedy that cost him his sight and the love of his life.

The festival will draw thousands of celebrity spotters to the French Riviera. And, there will be no bigger star this year than Brad Pitt, attending for 'Inglourious Basterds'.

The 62nd Cannes Film Festival runs until May the 24th.