Return to glamour at Cannes

By Helen Bushby BBC News Online Entertainment staff

The cream of the world's film industries are gathering for the prestigious 56th Cannes Film Festival in France, which begins on Wednesday.

Thousands of people are descending on Cannes for a fortnight of buying, selling and, of course, the endless watching of films.

Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise are expected to attend

And the usual glamour is expected, not least because Nicole Kidman, her ex-husband Tom Cruise and his current partner Penelope Cruz are expected to attend - at different premières.

The festival follows a muted Oscars in March, when the US war with Iraq - which France opposed - was at its height.

But despite recent reports that relations between US film-makers and French festival organisers might be strained, the mood for Cannes appears to be upbeat.

Adrian Wootton, the executive director of London Film Festival, said the focus would be very much on films rather than politics.

CANNES NUMBER CRUNCHING 2,498 films entered - 10% more than last year 81 countries entered films Official selection will screen 52 feature films 20 films up for Palme D'Or 13 countries up for Palme D'Or 40 world premières will take place

He also scotched claims that top US film-makers including Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers - who had all been expected to attend - were now avoiding the festival.

"I've met each of them and they are not the kind of people to be scared away from Cannes due to a political situation - or due to paranoia about the Sars virus," he told BBC News Online.

"They're not going for one simple reason - they haven't finished making their films - they're all loyal to Cannes and Europe.

"And if Americans really were staying away then Warner wouldn't have booked an entire hotel for the Matrix première," he added.

Quentin Tarantino had been expected to show his latest film in Cannes

Ian Thompson, a spokesman for the Film Council, which helps develop and promote the British film industry, echoed this view, adding that the point of the festival was to celebrate films and do business.

However festival organisers have announced they will be "vigilant" about the Sars virus, which has claimed hundreds of lives in South East Asia.

Veronique Cayla, the administrative head of the festival, said organisers "were keeping a close watch but remained calm" about keeping the epidemic at bay.

With the focus firmly on the films, this year's line-up includes some hotly anticipated movies, including The Matrix Reloaded, which is out of competition, and Lars Von Triers' Dogville, starring Nicole Kidman.

The Matrix Reloaded is being screened at Cannes

Other films expected to hit headlines are those directed by Clint Eastwood, Gus Van Sant and Peter Greenaway.

Greenaway has also caused a stir because he is the only British director to make it through to list of 20 films competing for the Palme d'Or, Cannes' big prize.

Film critic Alexander Walker, known for his strident views on the British film industry, sounded unimpressed with this.

"Despite more than £300m of lottery money being spent since 1995 on trying to create a 'sustainable' British film industry, Britain this year has only Greenaway representing us in the official competition for the Palme d'Or," he said.

Mike Leigh [second left] showed a film at Cannes in 2002

He added that a "French insider" had told him that other British films submitted "simply weren't good enough".

But Wootton was keen to defend the British film industry, saying: "I'm not feeling all doom and gloom about it."

He said Cannes competition famously focuses on arthouse movies.

The UK produces "only a small number of high quality art movies", with much of its output not being "appropriate" for the festival.

"Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Stephen Frears are all British directors and major auteurs who brought out films last year," he said, adding: "They can't bring a film out more than every two or three years."

Thompson said lottery money allocated to film-makers was starting to prove successful, with at least two British films - Young Adam starring Ewan McGregor and Kiss of Life - being shown at the festival.

"The quality of British films is getting better," he added.