Cannes Festival kicks off tonight

In addition to films selected for competition this year, major Hollywood productions such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Kung Fu Panda will have its world premiere at the festival.

Some 22 films are in competition for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, including Blindness and Changeling.

Blindness is directed by Brazilian Fernando Mereilles, whose previous credits include City Of God and The Constant Gardener.

Other films in competition include the directorial debut of Being John Malkovich screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.

Kaufman's film, Synecdoche New York, is a typically idiosyncratic tale of a theatre director - played by Philip Seymour Hoffman - who tries to build a scale model of New York City in his attic.

Also showing out of competition at the festival are Jack Black's animal animation Kung Fu Panda as well as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Three film directors of Armenian origin – Atom Egoyan of Canada, Diana Mkrtchyan of Russia and Arman Tadevosyan of Armenia – will participate in the Cannes Festival to be held from 14 to 23 May. The official webpage of the Festival informs that Atom Egoyan will participate with his “Adoration” film, which is a drama about young people who try to communicate with each other via Internet and SMS messages. The film stars Arsine Khanjyan, the director’s wife.

Diana Mkrtchyan’s 33-minute film titled “GATA” is presented in the documentaries. Arman Tadevosyan’s film is presented in the short films program. The 10-minute documentary was shot in Kars. The film tells about the cultural and civil transfiguration in Kars.

Source: By Public Radio of Armenia