Films to play at Cannes

Two notable omissions; read about them below this Variety article:

"Established auteurs are back with a vengeance this year in an English-lingo heavy Cannes Film Festival official line-up, unveiled Tuesday by artistic director Thierry Fremaux. As widely expected, Cannes faves back on the Croisette next month include David Cronenberg, Michael Haneke, Wim Wenders, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Atom Egoyan, Amos Gitai, Hou Hsiou-hsien, Jim Jarmusch, Gus Van Sant and Lars Von Trier.

The only first film to nab a competition slot this year is Tommy Lee Jones' "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," repping the U.S. along with Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez' "Sin City," Gus Van Sant's "Last Days" and "Broken Flowers" by Jim Jarmusch. In all there are nine English lingo films out of 20 pics in competition.

Woody Allen's "Match Point" and George Lucas' "Star Wars Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" are among pics screened out of competition during the fest, which runs May 11-22.

While Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" was the controversial winner of the Golden Palm last year, docus are absent from the competition this time, although Brit helmer Adam Curtis' neo-conservative critique "The Power of Nightmares" will receive a special screening. There are also no animated films in competition.

In four years at the fest, Fremaux has earned a reputation for last-minute decision making, but 'down to the wire' has taken on a new resonance this year. Organisers did not settle on the opening night film -- Dominik Moll's in competition "Lemming" -- until late Monday. Gallic helmer Moll was in competition at Cannes in 2000 with his second film, "With a Friend Like Harry."

And at Tuesday's press conference, it emerged that the fest was not ready to announce the make-up of the jury headed by Emir Kusturica.

Full details of all four juries -- the Competition, Un Certain Regard, Cinefondation and Short Film Competition, would be announced next week, managing director Veronique Cayla promised.

Among festival's extra curricular events, Catherine Deneuve will give the fest's "acting lesson" this year, while Senegalese helmer Ousmane Sembene will give a "director's lesson."

CANNES 2005: OFFICIAL SELECTION

IN COMPETITION
“Bashing,” Japan, Masahiro Kobayashi
“Battle in the Sky,” Mexico, Carlos Reygadas
“The Best of our Times,” Taiwan-Japan, Hou Hsiao-Hsien
“Broken Flowers,” France-U.S., Jim Jarmusch
“Cache,” France-Austria-Germany-Italy, Michael Haneke
“Don’t Come Knockin’,” Germany-France, Wim Wenders
“Election,” Hong Kong, Johnny To
“L’Enfant,” Belgium, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
“Free Zone,” Israel-Belgium, Amos Gitai
“A History of Violence,” U.S.-Canada, David Cronenberg
“Kilometre Zero,” Iraq, Hiner Saleem
“Last Days,” U.S., Gus Van Sant
“Lemming,” France, Dominik Moll
“Manderlay,” Denmark-Sweden-Netherland, Lars Von Trier
“Quando Sei Nato Non Puoi Piu Nasconderti,” Italy, Marco Tullio Giordana
“Peindre ou Faire L’Amour,” France, Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu
“Shanghai Dreams,” China, Wang Xiaoshuai
“Sin City,” U.S., Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
“The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,” U.S., Tommy Lee Jones
“Where the Truth Lies,” Canada, Atom Egoyan

OUT OF COMPETITION
“Chromophobia,” France-U.S.-U.K., Martha Fiennes
“Joyeux Noel,” France-Germany-UK-Belgium, Christian Carion
“Match Point,” UK, Woody Allen
“Star Wars – Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” U.S., George Lucas

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
“A Bittersweet Life,” South Korea, Kim Jee-woon
“Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang,” U.S., Shane BlackShane Black
“Land of the Dead,” U.S., George Romero
“Midnight Movies,” Stuart Samuels

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“The Artistes of the Burnt Theater,” Cambodia-France, Rithy Panh
“C’est Pas Tout a Fait la Vie Dont J’avais Reve,” France, Michel Piccoli
“Crossing the Bridge,” Germany, Fatih Akin
“Nekam Achat Mishtey Eynay,” Israel, Avi Mograbi
“The Power of Nightmares,” U.K., Adam Curtis
“Princess Raccoon,” Japan, Seijun Suzuki

UN CERTAIN REGARD 2005
“Cidade Baixa,” Brazil, Sergio Machado
“Movies, Aspirin and Vultures,” Brazil, Marcelo Gomes
“Get Up and Walk,” Burkino Faso, S. Pierre Yameogo
“Down in the Valley,” U.S., David Jacobson
“Low Profile,” Germany, Christoph Hochhausler
“Le Filmeur,” France, Alain Cavalier
“Hwal,” South Korea-Japan, Kim Ki-duk
“Jewboy” (short feature), Australia, Tony Kravitz
“Johanna,” Hungary, Kornel Mundruczo
“The King,” U.S.-U.K., James Marsh
“The Death of Domnului Lazarescu,” Romania, Cristi Puiu
“North East,” France-Argentina-Belgium, Juan Solanas
“Blood,” Mexico, Amat Escalante
“Sleepers,” Austria, Benjamin Heisenberg
“Tawa Dura Yanna,” Sri Lanka, Vimukthi Jayasundara
“Le Temps Qui Reste,” France, Francois Ozon
“The Forgotten Forest,” Japan, Kohei Oguri
“Grown Up People,” Denmark, Dagur Kari
“One Night,” Iran, Niki Karimi
“Yellow Fella” (short), Australia, Ivan Sen
“Zim And Co.,” France, Pierre Jolivet

I think A History of Violence will take something home. That's all I'm predicting. Interesting absences from the lineup: Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain and Ron Howard's Cinderella Man. Man was suppose to debut out of competition, while Mountain's placing has been anyone's guess the past couple of months. Was this true or was it all just speculation? BM wasn't finished till mid-March, so it might not have screened in time.