Organizers at the Cannes Film Festival today announced their 2009 line-up -- heavy on international flavor, light on the Stateside offerings, and virtually all predicted in previous ruminations about the 62nd annual event.
Quentin Tarantino and Ang Lee have the only American films in competition, offering Inglourious Basterds and Taking Woodstock. Among the other 18 auteurs on the hunt for the Palme d'Or are Pedro Almodovar (Broken Embraces), Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon), Jane Campion (Bright Star), Alain Resnais (Les Herbes folles), and Ken Loach (Looking For Eric). The relatively heavy Asian contingent includes Tsai Ming-liang, Johnny To, Lou Ye and Park Chan-wook, while Euro-agitators Gaspar Noé and Lars Von Trier will do their polarizing best with Enter the Void and Antichrist, respectively.
The Terry Gilliam question mark fell away as well, with his The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (featuring Heath Ledger's last role) receiving a berth out of competition. Michel Gondry has something new as well (L'epine dans le coeur), about which nobody seems to know anything, and barring its continued legal legal limbo, Sundance winner Precious (née Push) will screen in the Un Certain Regard section.
Movieline will have troops on the Croisette; look for more here once the fest opens May 13. In the interim, browse the complete 2009 line-up below and call your shots in the comments for this year's big winner.
IN COMPETITION
Bright Star, Australia-U.K.-France, Jane Campion
Spring Fever, China-France, Lou Ye
Antichrist, Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy, Lars von Trier
Enter the Void, France, Gaspar Noe
Face, France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
Les Herbes folles, France-Italy, Alain Resnais
In the Beginning, France, Xavier Giannoli
A Prophet, France, Jacques Audiard
The White Ribbon, Germany-Austria-France, Michael Haneke
Vengeance, Hong Kong-France-U.S., Johnnie To
The Time That Remains, Israel-France-Belgium-Italy, Elia Suleiman
Vincere, Italy-France, Marco Bellocchio
Kinatay, Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
Thirst, South Korea-U.S., Park Chan-wook
Broken Embraces, Spain, Pedro Almodovar
Map of the Sounds of Tokyo, Spain, Isabel Coixet
Fish Tank, U.K.-Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
Looking for Eric, U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy, Ken Loach
Inglourious Basterds, U.S., Quentin Tarantino
Taking Woodstock, U.S., Ang Lee
OUT OF COMPETITION
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Canada-France, Terry Gilliam
The Army of Crime, France, Robert Guediguian
Agora, Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
A Town Called Panic, Belgium, Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
Ne te retourne pas, France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy, Marina de Van
Drag Me to Hell, U.S., Sam Raimi
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Petition, China, Zhao Liang
L'epine dans le coeur, France, Michel Gondry
Min ye, France-Mali, Souleyumane Cisse
Jaffa, Israel-France-Germany, Keren Yedaya
Manila, Philippines, Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin
My Neighbor, My Killer, U.S., Anne Aghion
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Samson & Delilah, Australia, Warwick Thornton
Adrift, Brazil, Heitor Dhalia
The Wind Journeys, Colombia, Ciro Guerra
Demain des l'aube, France, Denis Dercourt
Irene, France, Alain Cavalier
Independance, Philippines-France-Germany, Raya Martin
Le Pere de mes enfants, France-Germany, Mia Hansen-Love
Dogtooth, Greece, Yorgos Lanthimos
Nobody Knows About the Persian Cats, Iran, Bahman Ghobadi
Eyes Wide Open, Israel, Haim Tabakman
Mother, South Korea, Bong Joon-ho
The Silent Army, Netherlands, Jean van de Velde
To Die Like a Man, Portugal, Joao Pedro Rodrigues
Police, Adjective, Romania, Corneliu Porumboiu
Tales from the Golden Age, Romania, Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru
Tale in the Darkness, Russia, Nikolay Khomeriki
Tzar, Russia-France, Pavel Lounguine
Nymph, Thailand, Pen-ek Ratanaruang
Precious, U.S., Lee Daniels
· Cannes unveils lineup [Variety]