Cannes opens in shadow of terror threat
- Amazon in prime position -
This year is one of the most star-studded in recent times, and "Twilight" megastar turned indie darling Stewart as well as Blake Lively and Steve Carell are among those appearing on the red carpet Wednesday for the "Cafe Society" premiere.
Allen also narrates the movie -- his 46th -- which he describes as "like reading a novel on my life" with the actor and writer Jesse Eisenberg, of "The Social Network" fame, playing the Allen character.
"If I was Jesse's age I would have played myself, but I wouldn't have played it as well," Allen told reporters after a screening for the press.
The film is one of five backed by Amazon at Cannes, a sign of a shift in the cinema industry which is increasingly opening up to subscription services, although straight-to-streaming site Netflix is still being snubbed by Cannes.
Nearly 90 feature films from all over the world will be shown in this year's official selection.
These include 21 which are in the running for the Palme d'Or main prize, such as "The Last Face" by actor-director Penn featuring his ex-girlfriend Theron and the latest offering from French Canadian wonderkid Xavier Dolan of "Mommy" fame.
The first of the big Hollywood films, Foster's drama about a Wall Street tipster "Money Monster" starring Clooney and Roberts screens Thursday
- Controversy -
And Steven Spielberg will roll out his blockbuster version of Roald Dahl's "The BFG" at the weekend, although neither are competing for the main Palme d'Or prize.
But already some of the main competition films are raising eyebrows, with Juliette Binoche starring in a period horror "Slack Bay" about Victorian tourists eaten by the locals in northern France.
Another, "The Neon Demon", also features cannibalism, this time among supermodels in Los Angeles according to the film's Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, who is notorious for depicting extreme violence.
Hundreds more movies are showing in the film market and in the Director's Fortnight and Critics' Week sections.
The population of Cannes nearly triples to some 200,000 people as film producers, industry workers and actors pour in to do deals, network and party.
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