Organizers of the 57th
Festival de Cannes, May 12-23, 2004, announced today the lineup for this year's Competition and Un Certain Regard, and the short films in Competition as well as the Cinefondation film school selection.
"Cannes 2004 is presenting 56 feature films," says Festival director Thierry Fremaux on the event's Web site. "There are a total of 46 world premieres in the combined sections, more than in 2003 and 2002. Furthermore, the Selection is presenting 9 first films, twice that of last year. The figure that stands out though is the number of films submitted: 3562 feature-length and short films. In 2003, there were 2498 (2281 in 2002, 1798 in 2001 and 1397 in 2000). Compared to last year, the number of films submitted has increased 42.5 percent. It was not so long ago, at the end of the '90s, that less than 1,000 films were the norm."
Among the newcomers to the Cannes Competition, Fremaux adds, are "Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel (
La Nina Santa), Korean Park Chan-wook (
Old Boy) and Hong San-soo (
La Femme est l'avenir de l'homme), Italian Paolo Sorrentino (
Les consequences de l'amour), Agnes Jaoui (
Comme une image) and Tony Gatlif (
Exils) from France, as well as Apitchapong Weerasethakul (
Tropical Malady) -- discovered in the Certain Regard section in 2002 with
Blissfully Yours -- marking the first time Thailand has a film in competition. And also Hans Weingartner (28 years old) who is bringing Germany back in the arena with his film
Edukators. These film directors represent almost one half of the competition features."
"The Certain Regard section is quite different from the competition. [These] films present a particular perspective, whether the work of a young filmmaker or a confirmed auteur. In this regard, the young Austrian Jessica Hausner, Lea Fazer from Switzerland and Yang Chao from China will mingle with Sembene Ousmane from Senegal making a trip back to Cannes at the age of 83."
This year's Feature Film competition jury is comprised of director Quentin Tarantino (whose
Kill Bill, Vol. 2 will screen out of competition), actresses Emmanuelle Beart (France), Tilda Swinton (UK) and Kathleen Turner (US), actor Benoit Poelvoorde (Belgium), writer Edwidge Danticat (US), directors Jerry Schatzberg (US) and Tsui Hark (Hong Kong), and Finish film critic Peter von Bagh.
# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 4/21/2004 02:07:00 PM
Comments (0)
