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Old, new directors duke it out
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THE sensitive directors of the old world will fight it out for celluloid supremacy with the big-money monsters of the new when the Cannes film festival rolls out its red carpet today.
The battle pits cinematic giants such as France's legendary Jean-Luc Godard and 92-year-old Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira against lavish Hollywood productions such as Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" and DreamWorks' animation "Shrek".
"Moulin Rouge", a US$50 million musical starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, kicks off the fun at a glamorous gala tonight, followed by a star-studded party complete with a bevy of can-can dancers.
A jury headed by Norwegian actress and director Liv Ullman will be the arbiter of the contest for the coveted Golden Palm and will announce the winner on the last day of the Riviera film fest on May 20.
Despite Cannes's reputation as a high-brow cinematic haven for art house fans, the Mediterranean resort simultaneously hosts one of the world's top film markets.
A slew of stars will be ascending the festival's red carpet in their tuxedos and designer gowns, including Kidman, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Billy Bob Thornton.
With five films out of the 19 selected for the main competition, US studios enjoy a higher profile than of late.
Among the American directors presenting films in Cannes are actor-turned director Sean Penn and previous Palm-laureates David Lynch and brothers Joel and Ethan Coen.
Cannes officials insist they have not pandered to the United States at the expense of other countries such as Britain and Germany, which have no contenders for the top honors.
Two-time Palm-winner Shohei Imamura, one of Japan's foremost directors, is aiming for a third triumph with "Warm Water Under a Red Bridge", one of three Japanese films vying for the Palm.(SD-Agencies)
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