The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival kicks off on May 12, amidst a backdrop of Hollywood's reluctance to attend, the emergence of AI in filmmaking, and political influence.
The festival's main competition features 22 films vying for the prestigious Palme d'Or, including works from Pedro Almodóvar, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Cristian Mungiu.
However, Hollywood's biggest films are absent from the lineup, with reasons including cost-cutting and a preference for tightly controlled social media launches.
Despite this, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez will attend for a special screening of The Fast and the Furious, while John Travolta will unveil his directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach.
Other top stars expected to attend include Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and Rami Malek, who will promote their respective films.
The festival will also feature a documentary on John Lennon, created using AI-generated images, and several top Indian stars, including Aishwarya Rai, Alia Bhatt, and Aditi Rao Hydari.
