'PULP' ON 'CLOUDS'

Quentin Tarantino and the stars of "Pulp Fiction" walked the red carpet in Cannes on Friday night (23 MAY 2014) for the premiere of "Clouds of Sils Maria."

The acclaimed American director is at the festival this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his cult classic, which won the festival's top prize in 1994.

They were joined at the event by French director Olivier Assayas and his "Sils Maria" cast, which includes Kristen Stewart, Juliette Binoche, and Chloe Grace Moretz.

Assayas' latest offering is showing in competition at this year's festival which draws to a close on Sunday.

Tarantino will also be helping to close the 67th edition of the festival with a tribute to Sergio Leone.

The filmmaker will present a restored version of Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) at the May 24 closing ceremony.

Usually, the Palme d'Or winner is screened at the Cannes closing ceremony, but this year's schedule has been tweaked because of European elections.

The Palme d'Or winner will be shown Sunday (25 MAY 2014) instead.

AP Entertainment

Cannes, France, 23 May 2014

1. Tilt down of red carpet

2. Pan of photographers

3. Joe Jackson red carpet

4. Catherine Deneuve arrival

5. Cutaway of press

6. Various of "Pulp Fiction" arrivals including Lawrence Bender, Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman, John Travolta and Kelly Preston

7. Tilt up Kristen Stewart

8. Cutaway of press

9. Various of "Clouds of Sils Maria" arrivals including Kristen Stewart, Juliette Binoche, Chloe Grace Moretz and Olivier Assayas

CANNES RED CARPET LOOKS FROM CATE BLANCHETT GLAMOUR TO KRISTEN STEWART'S BARE FEET

Glamour reigns at the Cannes Film Festival, but this year's most memorable fashion moment might have been Kristen Stewart ditching her heels to go barefoot on the red carpet at the premiere of Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," in what many people speculate was an act of rebellion against the unofficial formalwear rules at Cannes.

Other celebrities made statements but more along the lines of fashion statements.  

Cate Blanchett wore a Givenchy black jumpsuit to the star-sudded "Capharnaum" premiere and a floor length tiered rainbow skirt with a black turtleneck open back top to another event.

Kristen Stewart, Michelle Rodgriquez and Bella Hadid, glimmered in silver but bright jewel tones also showed up against the red carpet. Model Winnie Harlow wore a bright apple green gown while jury member, Khadja Nin wore a boldly colored purple and gold print gown.

Feathers, sequins, lace, chiffon, beads and crystals embellished many of the outfits and of course diamonds adorned many of the stars as they walked the red carpet at the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival. The winner of the Palme d'Or will be announced Saturday and decided by a nine-person jury led by  Blanchett. There are 21 films competing.

Cannes, France, 17 May 2018

1. Various, Cate Blanchett

Cannes, France, 16 May 201

2. Various, Adriana Lima

3. Various, Cindy Bruna

4. Various, Isabel Goulart

5. Various of Milla Jovovich

6. Various of Khadja Nin

Cannes, France, 14 May 2018

7. Various, Sonam Kapoor

8. Various, Natasha Poly

9. Various, Ming Xi

10. Various, Winnie Harlow

11. Various, Nicole Scherzinger

12. Various, Jane Fonda

13. Various, Naomi Campbell

14. Kristen Stewart, as she takes off shoes to walk up stairs

15. Various, Cate Blanchett arrival

16. Bella Hadid arrival

Cannes, France, 15 May 2018

17. Various, Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly posing for photographers

18. Medium of Phoebe Waller-Bridge posing for photographers

Cannes, France, 13 May 2018

19. Various, Naomi Campbell

20. Various, Bella Hadid

21. Various, Michelle Rodriguez

22. Various, Winnie Harlow

Cannes, France, 16 May 2018

23. Various, Fan Bingbing

Kristen Stewart,

Copyright 2017 Celebrity Footage. All Rights Reserved.

Kristen Stewart,

Copyright 2017 Celebrity Footage. All Rights Reserved.

SHOTLIST:

Kristen Stewart, Alicia Cargile,

SHOTLIST:

Kristen Stewart,

SHOTLIST:

Woody Allen, Blake Lively, Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Corey Stoll,

STORY

FRA Opening Night Carpet

SHOWS

The opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival 2016 with a celeb-filled red carpet including, Gong Li, Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, Naomi Watts, Eva Longoria, Doutzen Kroes, Paolo Sorrentino, Gael Garcia Bernal, Victoria Beckham, Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick

82 WOMEN WALK THE RED CARPET IN CANNES FILM FEST PROTEST

Eighty-two women climbed the steps of the Palais des Festivals at the Cannes Film Festival Saturday (12 MAY 2018) in an unprecedented red carpet protest to press for improved gender equality in the film industry.

The number of stars, filmmakers and film industry professionals ascending the steps represented the number of female filmmakers who have been selected to compete at Cannes during the festival's seven-decade history.

In contrast to their 82, 1,866 films directed by men have been picked for the prestigious festival lineup.

Organizers said the event was orchestrated by the Time's Up movement and the French movement known as 5020x2020 to show "how hard it is still to climb the social and professional ladder" for women.

It brought an array of film industry professionals to the Cannes red carpet, including actresses Salma Hayek and Jane Fonda, "Wonder Woman" filmmaker Patty Jenkins and French director Agnes Varda, a recipient of an honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes.

Also joining were the five female members of this year's Cannes jury: Cate Blanchett, Kristen Stewart, Ava DuVernay, Lea Seydoux and Burundian singer Khadja Nin. Blanchett read a statement atop the Palais steps in English; Varda read it in French.

The protest was held ahead of the premiere of French filmmaker Eva Husson's "Girls of the Sun," which is about a Kurdish battalion of women soldiers. Husson is one of three female filmmakers out of the 21 movies in competition for the Palme d'Or this year.

The other two — Nadine Labaki's "Capernaum," and Alice Rohrwacher's "Happy as Lazzaro" — are to premiere next week.

Cannes has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years over the number of female directors selected into its main slate, considered one of the most esteemed achievements in cinema. Jane Campion is the only female filmmaker to ever win the Palme.

The festival supported Saturday's protest. Festival director Thierry Fremaux earlier this week hailed Saturday's event as a way for women "to affirm their presence."

Fremaux has repeatedly insisted that the festival chooses its films purely based on quality. But he's also signaled that the festival is reanalyzing its procedures and making its selection committees gender-balanced.

Cannes, France, 12 May 2018

1. Medium shot, pull out to wide Kirsten Stewart, Lea Seydoux, Khadja Nin, Ava DuVernay and Cate Blanchett arrival

2. Cutaway press

3. Various Salma Hayek, Sofia Boutella, Patty Jenkins and other film makers arrive

4. Pan of arrivals

5. Cutaway photographers

6. Wide shot Eighty two film industry professionals stand on the steps of the Palais des Festivals

7. UPSOUND (French/English) Cate Blanchett, actress, jury president: "Madame and monsieur bienvenue. On these steps today stand 82 women."

8. Cutaway crowd

9. Wide shot Eighty two film industry professionals stand on the steps of the Palais des Festivals

UPSOUND (English) Cate Blanchett, actress, jury president:

"The prestigious Palme d'Or has been bestowed upon 71 male directors, too numerous to mention by name but only two female directors, Jane Campion, who is with us in spirit and the wonderful Agnès Varda who stand with us today. These facts are stark and undeniable."

10. Cutaway camera operator

11. UPSOUND (English) Cate Blanchett, actress, jury president:

"We all face our own unique challenges but we stand together on these steps today as a symbol of our determination and our commitment to progress. We are writers, we are producers, we are directors, actresses, cinematographers, talent agent, editors, distributors, sales agents and all of us are involved in the cinematic arts. And we stand today in solidarity with women of all industries."

12. Cutaway camera operator

13. Various of Eighty two film industry professionals clapping and holding hands in the air

14. Tilt down from front of Palais des Festivals to wide of women clapping on the steps

CANNES KICKS OFF WITH STARS AND SNIPERS

Under the watchful eye of the French security forces, the 69th Cannes Film Festival kicked off with a celeb-filled red carpet Wednesday night (11 MAY 2016).

Coming six months after the Paris terror attacks, snipers were in position on the Palais des Festivals rooftop as stars including Julianne Moore, Justin Timberlake, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jessica Chastain, Victoria Beckham, Eva Longoria, Gong Li and many more walked the famous red carpet for the premiere of Woody Allen's 1930s Hollywood comedy "Cafe Society" - the opening film.

Alan was joined at the event by cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively.

In the film, Eisenberg stars as a Bronx nebbish trying to make it in Hollywood, where his uncle (Steve Carell) is a powerful agent. He becomes smitten with his uncle's assistant, played by Stewart.

Also on the carpet were this year's competition jury, led by Australian filmmaker George Miller and including actors Donald Sutherland, Vanessa Paradis, Kirsten Dunst and Mads Mikkelsen.

Over the next 10 days, they will screen an especially strong slate of films vying for the Palme d'Or - the festival's top prize - including new releases from Pedro Almodovar, Jim Jarmusch, Asghar Farhadi, Andrea Arnold, Sean Penn and the Dardenne brothers.

Other high profile directors screening films at the festival include Steven Spielberg ("The BFG") and Jodie Foster ("Money Monster"). Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe are among the stars expected to attend the movie extravaganza, which runs until Sunday, May 22.

AP Entertainment

Cannes, 11 May 2016

1. Tilt down, Palais des Festivals banner to security

2. Various of security

3. Medium shot of sniper on roof of Palais des Festivals

4. Wide shot, sniper on roof, tilt down to red carpet

5. Tilt up from crowd to security

6. Medium shot, lookout on roof of Palais des Festivals

7. Pan of red carpet

8. Various of Gong Li on red carpet

9. Various of Julianne Moore on red carpet

10. Various of Susan Sarandon

11. Various of Naomi Watts

12. Various of Eva Longoria

13. Various of Doutzen Kroes

14. Medium Paolo Sorrentino and guest

15. Medium of Gael Garcia Bernal

16. Various of Victoria Beckham

17. Various of Justin Timberlake

18. Various Anna Kendrick

19. Various of Timberlake and Kendrick

20. Various of Jessica Chastain and Vincent Lindon

21. Various of jury including George Miller, Arnaud Desplechin, Kirsten Dunst, Valeria Golino, Mads Mikkelsen, Laszlo Nemes, Vanessa Paradis, Katayoon Shahabi and Donald Sutherland

22. Various of Woody Allen and "Café Society" cast, including Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively

23. Tilt down from Palais des Festival banner to red carpet steps

AP Entertainment

Cannes, France, 25 May 2012

1. Wide of red carpet

2. Medium of Kristen Stewart and Tom Sturridge posing for photographers

3. Pan up Kristen Stewart and Tom Sturridge as they enter the Palais

4. Cutaway photographers

5. Zoom out Aishwarya Rai

6. Wide of model Doutzen Kroes

7. Wide of cast of "The Oath of Tobruk," with director Bernard-Henri Levy

8. Medium of Bonnie Wright

9. Wide of Cuba Gooding Jr, David Oyelowo, director Anthony Hemmingway, Melody Hobson and director George Lucas

10. Close up of Robert Pattinson

11. Wide of "Cosmopolis" cast - Paulo Branco, Don Dellilo, Juliette Binoche, Robert Pattinson, director David Cronenberg, Sarah Gadon, Paul Giamatti, Emily Hampshire and Martin Katz

12. Medium pan of "Cosmopolis" cast

13. Wide of cast, zoom in on Robert Pattinson entering the Palais

Stone Angels

14. Trailer clip: "Cosmopolis"

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL LIST ACTOR CHANG CHEN'S NATIONALITY AS CHINESE

Chang Chen's nationality is causing a bit of stir ahead of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

It was recently revealed that the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" actor will be on this year's jury, alongside stars including Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux.  

But, when the announcement was made on the the festival's website, Chang was listed as Chinese, rather than Taiwanese.

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, a spokesperson from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reached out to the organizers of the festival asking for a correction.

However, Chang's management has issued a statement which backs up the festival's listing.

It clarifies that, although he was born in Taiwan, Chang's ancestral home is in Zhejiang Province, China.

The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 with Chairman Mao's Communist Party victorious, while the Kumingtang, the opposition party, retreated to Taiwan.  

China now considers Taiwan a renegade province.  

This is not the first time something like this has occured at the Cannes Film Festival.  

In 2015, director Hou Hsiao-hsien's martial arts movie "The Assassin" was listed as Chinese and then corrected after Taiwanese officials requested the change.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 8 to 19.

FILE: Berlin, 21 February 20182

1. Medium shot with pull out, Chang Chen

FILE: Hong Kong, 11 August 2015

2. Medium shot (from left) Shu Qi, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Chang Chen posing for photographers

3. Tilt up Shu Qi, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Chang Chen

4. Tilt up Hou Hsiao-hsien and Chang Chen

5. Medium shot Chang Chen

FILE: Cannes, France 22 May 2015

6. Medium shot Chang Chen

7. Close-up Chang Chen

RED CARPET ROLLED OUT AHEAD OF OPENING NIGHT OF 67th CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

The red carpet has been rolled out over the famous steps of the Cannes Film Festival, ready to welcome the stars at the opening gala in a few hours time.

The 67th Cannes Film Festival will open Wednesday evening (14 May 2014) with Nicole Kidman's new movie "Grace of Monaco."

Directed by Olivier Dahan, it stars Kidman as screen icon Grace Kelly, torn between her duties as Princess of Monaco and the chance to return to Hollywood to star in an Alfred Hitchcock film.

This year brings a selection somewhat light on Hollywood and perhaps missing some of the year's most anticipated releases (like Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice," due in December).

But it's heavy on world-class auteurs, including Jean-Luc Godard, Ken Loach, the Dardenne brothers, Mike Leigh and Michel Hazanavicius, returning to where his film "The Artist" became a sensation.

Films in competition will bring a bevy of A-listers to the prestigious red carpet, including both former "Twilight" co-stars Robert Pattinson (in "Maps to the Stars" and the Aussie outback thriller "The Rover") and Kristen Stewart (in Olivier Assayas' "Clouds of Sils Maria").

Ryan Gosling presents his directorial debut, "Lost River."

Notably this year has a bigger presence of women, with two female directors competing in the main competition and five women on the jury - which is headed up by Jane Campion.

The 67th Cannes Film Festival runs through until Sunday 25th May.

AP Entertainment

Cannes, France, 14th May 2014

1. Low angle up to Cannes 2014 banner above steps

2. Wide shot man carries roll of red carpet

3. Close up staff carrying roll of red carpet

4. Pan staff laying carpet at top of steps

5. Close up man sticking carpet to the ground

6. Close up hands of man sticking carpet to ground

7. Wide shot of steps

8. Close up men laying carpet on steps

9. Close up of carpet being laid on steps

10. Mid shot men laying carpet on the steps

11. Wide pan end of red carpet area to steps

12. Mid shot onlookers taking photographs

13. Close up reflection of the red carpet area in woman's sunglasses

14. Pull out from Cannes banner to wide shot of the red carpet

15. Mid of man taking plastic cover off roll of red carpet

16. Close up corner of carpet being cut to size

17. Wide shot last roll of carpet being rolled out

18. Pan from photographers to red carpet area

19. Pull out to wide shot red carpet area

20. Close up carpet being laid

21. Pan from onlooker to wide shot of the red carpet

22. Close up red carpet being stamped into position

23. Wide tilt down steps to red carpet

24. Close up reflection of red carpet in man's sunglasses

25. Tilt up of steps

CANNES WINNERS REACT TO THEIR AWARDS

Veteran British director Ken Loach has won his second Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for "I, Daniel Blake."

The award for the 79-year-old, the festival's top prize, was announced by actor Mel Gibson at the Sunday ceremony at the Palais des Festivals on the French Riviera.

"I, Daniel Blake" is a warmly realistic drama about a middle-aged widower in northern England who can neither work nor get government benefits after a heart attack. Loach previously also won the top award for "The Wind That Shakes The Barley."

Loach said that he would like to dedicate his Palme d'Or to the ordinary people who have suffered because of bureaucracy.

"The film is about the cruelty of bureaucracy and it starts as a comedy and finished seriously. But we met many inspiring people who told us their stories so of course the film is for them and the prize is for them; people who find food to feed the hungry people in our country which is a hugely rich country, and I know it's like that throughout Europe. So yes, it's for those people who are struggling against the cruelty of bureaucracy, which ever country."

When asked how it felt to receive a Palme d'Or at this point his career, Loach joked, "it shows that's there is life when you're nearly 80 "

French director Olivier Assayas received shared the Best Director awards with Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.

Assayas won for "The Personal Shopper" starring Kristen Stewart as a young woman working in Paris as a personal shopper to a celebrity. She grieves the death of her twin brother but believes that she is able to connect with her brother from the other side. Assayas praised Steward for her dedication to the role and said that he couldn't have done it without her.

"This belongs to Kristen. When you are a director, as good as you can get, you are nothing if you don't have the actress who brings you then energy, who gives you strength in every single shot, who understands what you are doing just like a ballet dancer in front of your camera. Kristen is the co-author of this film, she owns this."

Mungiu said he didn't mind sharing the award with Assayas at all since he was a huge fan of his work. The Romanian director won this year for his family drama "Graduation." Mungiu said that he hopes his win will bring more people to the theaters to watch the movie.

"I think it's great to get awards but unless films pleased spectators, awards don't mean too much. So I hope this is accommodation for everybody to watch the film. Maybe think about what the film wants to tell us because I think cinema has this power, to make people think about the choices they make and maybe find a better discourse for their children because unless we educate our children well, we won't have a better world. "

Iranian director, Asghar Farhadi's film "The Salesman," picked up two awards - Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Shahab Hosseini.

The director said that he was thrilled for his actor, and didn't expect to hear his name called.

"So, as soon as his name was called, I feel like I had won. I was very happy for him. I really didn't expect to receive another prize. I feel very privileged and grateful for having received 2 prizes for 1 film out of the 7 prizes that the festivals give."

Standing by his director's side, Hosseini said that there are a lot of people that he needed to thank for his best actor win.

"Well this is a great night in my life. I believe in God so I think I owe it to God and secondly to Asghar Farhadi and his trust. I'm very glad to be able to give some joy to my people because I think they've been pray for this to happen to me. "

Jaclyn Jose is the first Filipino actress to ever win the Best Actress award at Cannes. It's an emotional night for Jose who also has her daughter, with her by her side. Jose said that she hopes her win will bring some new change for her country, when their new president Rodrigo Duterte is sworn in next month.

"The Filipinos will watch the film because I won and a lot of people will see what the movie is all about. I'm sure our new president will go to the places where we shoot and look for Ma' Rosa and find out and stop this thing," said Jose.

Other winners included British director Andrea Arnold, who won the Jury Prize for "American Honey"; French and Romanian filmmakers Olivier Assayas and Cristian Mungiu, who shared the Best Director award for their films "Personal Shopper" and "Graduation"; plus Canadian director Xavier Dolan who picked up the Grand Jury Prize for his drama, "It's Only the End of the World."

Cannes, 22 May 2016

1. Wide shot of Ken Loach, director, holding the Palme d'Or award

2. Close up shot of the Palme d'Or

3. Pan shot from cameraman to Loach

4. Tilt up shot of Loach

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ken Loach, director, on who he would like to dedicate the Palme d'Or to

"The film is about the cruelty of bureaucracy and it starts as a comedy and finished seriously. But we met many inspiring people who told us their stories so of course the film is for them and the prize is for them; people who find food to feed the hungry people in our country which is a hugely rich country, and I know it's like that throughout Europe. So yes, it's for those people who are struggling against the cruelty of bureaucracy, which ever country."

(Reporter: What does it mean to you to win the Palme d'Or at this point in your career?)

Ken Loach: "Well it's extraordinary. I thought I was in extra time, to use a footballing image so it was a big surprise. We didn't expect to do another film and then here we are. So it was a big surprise and it shows that's there is life when you're nearly 80."

6. Pan shot from camera to Olivier Assayas, director "Personal Shopper,' speaking to reporters

7. Wide shot of Assayas

8. Tilt up shot of Assayas

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivier Assayas, director "Personal Shopper", on who he would like to dedicate his Best Director award to;

"Oh, I dedicate it to Kristen Stewart. This belongs to Kristen. When you are a director, as good as you can get, you are nothing if you don't have the actress who brings you the energy, who gives you strength in every single shot, who understands what you are doing, who's just like a ballet dancer in front of your camera. Kristen is the co-author of this film, she owns this."

10. Wide shot of Cristian Mungiu, director of Graduation, speaking to reporters

11. Tilt up shot of Mungiu

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Cristian Mungiu, director of "Graduation," on his Best Director win

"I would like to dedicate this awards to the spectators. I think it's great to get awards but unless films pleased spectators, awards don't mean too much. So I hope this is accommodation for everybody to watch the film and maybe think about what the film wants to tell us because I think cinema has this power, to make people think about the choices they make and maybe find a better discourse for their children because unless we educate our children well, we won't have a better world."

13. Wide shoot of Asghar Farhadi, Iranian director and Shahab Hosseini, actor with translator

14. Wide shot of Farhadi and Hosseini

15. Mid shot of Farhadi and Hosseini

16. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Asghar Farhadi, director "The Salesman", on his Best Screenplay win at Cannes

"I'm extremely happy. I've worked with Shahab many times. He's one of the best actors I've had the opportunity to work with. So as soon as his name was called, I feel like I had won. I was very happy for him. I really didn't expect to receive another prize. I feel very privileged and grateful for having received 2 prizes for 1 film out of the 7 prizes that the festivals give."

17. Tilt up shot from the Best Actor award to Hosseini

18. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Shahab Hosseini, actor, on his win for Best Actor at Cannes

"Well this is a great night in my life. I believe in God so I think I owe it to God and secondly to Asghar Farhadi and his trust. I'm very glad to be able to give some joy to my people because I think they've been pray for this to happen to me. "

19. Wide of Farhadi and Hosseini

20. Tilt up shot of Hosseini

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrea Arnold, director of "American Honey," on who she would like to share the award with

"Everyone who worked on the film. I mean we had a huge team of people. I know absolutely everyone who worked on the film worked with a great deal of love and put their hearts into what they did. So,it really does belong to everyone who worked on the film. I truly believe that. It was a real team effort."

22 Mid shot of Jaclyn Jose, actress, Best Actress winner with daughter actress Andi Eigenmann

23. Mid shot of Jaclyn Jose

24. SOUNDBITE (English), Jaclyn Jose, actress, on her hopes for the Philippines president elect Rodrigo Duterte

Jaclyn Jose: "The Filipinos will watch the film because I won and a lot of people will see what the movie is all about. I'm sure our new president will go to the places where we shoot and look for Ma' Rosa and find out and stop this thing. Andi, am I right?"

Andi Eigenmann, Jaclyn Jose's daughter/actress: "I hope so "

Jaclyn Rose: "Yeah I hope so."

25. Close up shot of Jose's Best Actress Award

26. Wide shot of Xavier Dolan, director, winner of the Grand Prix award

27. Mid shot of Dolan

CATE BLANCHETT CALLS FOR EQUALITY AS CANNES FILM FESTIVAL PREPARES FOR OPENING NIGHT

The 71st Cannes Film Festival opens Tuesday (8 MAY 2018) with the premiere of Asghar Farhadi's "Everybody Knows," but the spotlight at the first post-Harvey Weinstein edition of the glamorous French Rivera gathering is squarely focused on issues of gender equality.

Ahead of the premiere of the Iranian filmmaker's Spanish-language debut, starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, jury president Cate Blanchett introduced the female-majority jury that will decide this year's Palme d'Or, among the most prestigious honors in cinema.

Blanchett, a prominent member of the Time's Up initiative, said that the #MeToo movement will play a role in this and every future Cannes, but will not factor into their deliberations.

"Would I like to see more women in competition? Absolutely. Do I expect and hope that that is going to happen in the future? I hope so. But we're dealing with what we have this year and our role is to, in this next almost two weeks, is to deal with what is in front of us.

Competing for the Palme d'Or are 21 films, including new releases from Spike Lee, Pawel Pawlikowski and Jean-Luc Godard. Three of the films in competition are directed by women: Nadine Labaki, Eva Husson and Alice Rohrwacher.

Blanchett noted the festival has improved the gender parity of its selection committees. Juries, she noted, have in recent years been split equally, with the president tilting the scales this year.

"It just happens that I tip the balance," said Blanchett, adding a mock "Sorry."

Only one female filmmaker, Jane Campion, has ever won the Palme d'Or.

Lasting change, Blanchett said, will only occur with time.

"Is it (#MeToo) going to have a direct impact upon the films in competition this year, six, nine months on? Not specifically. There are several women in competition but they're not there because of their gender, they're there because of the quality of their work and we'll be assessing them as filmmakers as we should be."

Asked if improving gender equality at the festival also means dialing down the red carpet glamor, Blanchett said no.

"Being attractive doesn't preclude being intelligent. I think that this is, by its very nature, a glamorous, fantastic, spectacular festival full of joie de vivre, you know, full of great, good humor, full of discord and disharmony... I think that those aspects of the festival are things to be enjoyed but, you know, in an equal, fair and equitable way."

Joining Blanchett on the jury this year are actresses Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart, actor Chang Chen, directors Andrey Zvyagintsev, Denis Villeneuve, and Robert Guediguian, and musician Khadja Nin.

The winner of the Palme d'Or will be announced on May 19 when the festival draws to a close.

Cannes, France, 8 May 2018

1. Wide, zoom in of Cate Blanchett arriving at press conference

2. Medium shot Kristen Stewart sitting down

3. Pan of press conference

4. Pan of jury (left-right) Lea Seydoux, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Ava DuVernay, Denis Villeneuve, Cate Blanchett and Robert Guediguian

5. Close-up Kristen Stewart and Chang Chen

6. Wide shot jury

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"(It) was one of the first questions I said to Thierry (Fremaux - Cannes director), I said, you know, 'We really do have to have gender parity and racial diversity on the'… I don't chose the jury, but 'on the jury.' And he said, 'But we do.' And in Thierry's time there have always been, you know, there's a female head of jury, then there are four men and four women. So it just happens that I've tipped the balance. Sorry."

8. Cutaway camera operator

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"For quality change to occur, for profound lasting change to occur it needs to take place through specific actions. Not through generalizations and not through pontification and it's, you know, it's addressing the gender gap and it's addressing the racial diversity and the equality and, you know, the way we make the work. And, of course, that's going on in our industry and I hope, you know, in many industries because the creative industries are no different from any other industry around the world in terms of those problems that they face. But, you know, is it going to have a direct impact upon the films in competition this year, six, nine months on? Not specifically. There are several women in competition but they're not there because of their gender, they're there because of the quality of their work and we'll be assessing them as filmmakers, as we should be."

10. Pan of presser

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"Being attractive doesn't preclude being intelligent. I think that this is, by its very nature, a glamorous, fantastic, spectacular festival, full of joie de vivre, you know, full of great, good humor, full of discord and disharmony. Making art, making work is not always going to be harmonious and we are not always going to be in concord and agreement. The world would be terribly boring if it was, you know? I think that those aspects of the festival are things to be enjoyed but, you know, in an equal, fair and equitable way."

12. Wide of press conference

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Cate Blanchett, jury president/actress:

"Would I like to see more women in competition? Absolutely. Do I expect and hope that that is going to happen in the future? I hope so. But we're dealing with what we have this year and our role is to, in this next almost two weeks, is to deal with what is in front of us. And, as I said before, I'm not looking at the films as an Iranian filmmaker, or a Chilean, or a Korean, or a female, or a transgender - we don't have any transgender directors this year – oh, my God we failed already. But do you know what I mean? We're dealing with what we have in front of us and our job as industry members away from the festival is to keep working towards positive change."

14. Wide shot end of press conference

CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: FILM CLIPS ARE CLEARED FOR MEDIA BROADCAST AND/OR INTERNET USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS STORY ONLY. NO RE-SALE. NO ARCHIVE.

SHOTLIST(including transcript):-

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Cannes. 12 May 2005

1. Soon-Yi Previn, Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson and Emily Mortimer at top of steps

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FILE: Cannes, France, 15 May 2015

2. Various of director Woody Allen, Emma Stone and Parker Posey

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FILE: NewYork, 15 July 2015

3. Medium of Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn

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FILE: Cannes, France, 23 May 2014

4. Various of Kristen Stewart, Juliette Binoche, Chloe Grace Moretz and Olivier Assayas

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FILE: Park City, Utah, 24 Jan. 2016

5. Medium of Kristen Stewart

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FILE: Beverly Hills, 13 July 2015

6 . Various of Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel

'CAFE SOCIETY' IN CANNES

Woody Allen's latest film, "Cafe Society" will open this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Programmers say the movie, starring Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg, will have its red carpet premiere at the French Riviera festival on May 11.

Blake Lively, Parker Posey and Steve Carell also appear in the film, set in Hollywood in the 1930s.

Tuesday's announcement confirms Cannes' love affair with the 81-year-old American director. It's Allen's third film to open the festival, after "Hollywood Ending" in 2002 and "Midnight in Paris" in 2011.

"Cafe Society" is not in competition for the Palme D'Or and other prizes, to be awarded by a jury headed by "Mad Max" director George Miller.

The 69th Cannes Film Festival runs May 11-22.