News from Cannes

Pedro Almodóvar's "La Mala Education" kicked off the 57th annual Cannes Film Festival with a gala premiere on Thursday night. The exuberant Spanish filmmaker expressed "enormous joy" at opening the festival; after the screening, he clarified that the story about a burgeoning love between two parochial school students was not autobiographical. Rising international star Gael Garcia Bernal ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") plays a cross-dressing, knife-wielding priest.

Quentin Tarantino is loving the spotlight as president of the jury, which includes Edwige Danticat, Emmanuelle Béart, Kathleen Turner, Tilda Swinton, Tsui Hark, Jerry Schatzberg, Peter Von Bagh, and Benoit Poelvoorde. "If there is a level above heaven," Tarantino said, "that's where I'm at."

A strong Hollywood presence is also being felt this year. Wolfgang Peterson's epic "Troy," expected to be a mega-summer blockbuster, premieres today. Stars Will Smith and Angelina will be at the premiere of the animated feature "Shark's Tale." Dreamworks will premiere "Shrek 2," and the Coen Brother's film "The Lady Killers" will also screen.

Directors in competition this year include Wong Kar Wai, Olivier Assayas, Agnes Jaoui, Walter Salles, Hans Weingartner, Tony Gatlif, Michael Moore, Oshii Mamoru, Hong Sang-soo, Lucrecia Martel, Paolo Sorrentino, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Park Chan-wook, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Stephen Hopkins, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Emir Kusturica, Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon. For more Cannes coverage, check out indieWIRE and France for Visitors Guide Kelby Carr's daily blog.