Cannes celebrated its 60th birthday on Wednesday by inviting a screen newcomer to open the film festival: the singer Norah Jones, who plays a heartbroken lover opposite Jude Law in director Wong Kar-wai's "My Blueberry Nights".
Meanwhile, a string of films, which bring together many of the biggest names from the world of movies are set for their premieres.
Movies on Cannes' line up range from "Ocean's Thirteen" to Michael Moore's "Sicko", and films from Russia to Mexico and South Korea.
Norah Jones wore a strapless midnight blue number for the occasion, while Jude Law and Wong Kar-wai just wore the mandatory dark glasses, as they climbed the red carpet together. The Hong Kong director Wong is a Cannes favorite, and "My Blueberry Nights" is his first English-language movie.
Norah Jones stars as a New Yorker who hits the road on a curative cross-country trip after being dumped by her boyfriend. The film won warm praise from the critics at the preview a few hours before it officially opened the festival.
Wong Kai-wai said, "One of the reasons I wanted to make the film in the United States at that point was because I wanted to work with Norah, and I think this story is a very good story for Norah, so I think while it will be interesting to make the film in English, and shot in New York because she's based in New York and because of her schedule at that time, we thought well, this is something that we can do together." The festival is also due to enjoy Jake Gyllenhaal's latest film "Zodiac".
Directed by David Fincher, it is based the tale of a real-life serial killer, who went on a killing spree in the 1960's and 70's, while taunting police with letters, clues and cryptograms.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist for the Chronicle who has the knack of figuring out the serial killer's puzzles. The real Zodiac killer was never caught.
Also joining the fray is Angelina Jolie with her latest project "A Mighty Heart". In it Jolie plays Mariane, the wife of US journalist Daniel Pearl. Pearl was abducted and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan in 2002 while researching a story on Islamic militancy.
"A Mighty Heart" is an adapted from Mariane Pearl's book, "A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl."
