The stars come out to shine for the Cannes Film Festival

The stars come out to shine for the Cannes Film FestivalAnne Chaon (AFP) - 2 hours agoPARIS - With the choice of well-received films, Robert De Niro strong jury and the galaxy of stars, waiting for the Croisette this year's Cannes film festival promises to be among the busiest ever.64. edition of the world's largest festival opens on Wednesday on the French Riviera with out-of-competition premiere of Woody Allen's latest romantic comedy "Midnight in Paris."Twenty paintings, including Pedro Almodovar fresh work from Spain, Denmark, Lars Von Trier and Belgian Dardenne brothers, this is a highly desirable Palme d'Or."Films that are selected have to really give the feeling that they deserve to be here," Thierry Fremaux festival director, said in an interview with AFP, explaining how difficult it can be to reduce choice."The festival reflects the state of cinema and the state of cinema in general says the state of the world."Since its launch in the aftermath of the Second World War, Cannes are controversial, but this year Fremaux said the official selection is "without doubt one of the best received ever."Oscar winner De Niro, who played in the past Palme d'Or winner "Taxi Driver" and "The Mission", is a strong jury, which includes Hollywood stars Uma Thurman and Jude Law, Hong Kong director Johnny and film producer Nansun Shi, and Olivier Assayas France director.A-listers galore - including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz and Catherine Deneuve - is at this time of transition in the lush red carpet, which runs at the Palais des Festivals."Midnight in Paris" is getting attention not only for one of their players a bit: French first lady Carla Bruni, making her film debut as a museum staffer clipboard-hugging.Seven policemen have been detailed to the festival, where the killing of Osama bin Laden raise security concerns."International event of this scale with so many personalities, many of them Americans, is in itself a potential for real risk," said a police spokesman.In honor of the developments in the Middle East, the festival is to recognize Egypt as the first "guest country", a documentary snap uprising in Tunisia will be the country's first film at Cannes for 11 years.Videos condemned Iran's Jafar Panahi directors and Mohammad Rasoulof, made in a "semi-clandestine conditions" at that time will be issued in the official and the Un Certain Regard section, respectively, organizers said Saturday.Veteran French director Andre Techine will rub against a young and unknown film makers in the vanguard of the Directors' Fortnight.From Asia, apart from the competition, but only produced for the festival "Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told" will pay tribute to Indian popular cinema.Even with competition, and may stir controversy, will be "Conquest" by Xavier Durringer, biography, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is the first film at Cannes, never about serving President of France.Spanish heavy Almodovar presents "La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) in competition with Antonio Banderas starring.Von Trier, winner of the Palme d'Or in 2000 with "Dancer in the Dark," returns with "Melancholy", while Dardennes will be hunting for a third Palme d'Or with "Le Gamin au velo" (The Kid Bike).American director Terrence Malick will present "The Tree of Life", connecting Pitt and Penn on the screen, and the Israeli director Joseph Cedar will unspool "Hearat Shulayim" (footnote).With Japan will "Ishimei" (Hara-Kiri: Death Samurai) by Takashi Miike and "Tsuki no Hanezu" Naomi Kawase.The only British player is Lynne Ramsay to "We Need to Talk About Kevin", while in Australia, Julia Leigh, "Sleeping Beauty" is one of the first two films in competition, the other is "Michael" by Austrian director Markus Schleinzer.Italian film legend Bernardo Bertolucci, whose classics are "Last Tango in Paris" and "The Last Emperor" is to receive an honorary Palme d'Or for lifetime achievement.Cannes is almost three times larger in population within 11 days of the festival at 200,000, not only because of all the projections, but also to international markets, where more than 10,000 participants from 101 countries will haggle over the rights to 4,240 films, many of them still in production."On the stairs, in groups, in theaters, Cannes is the place," said Fremaux