This year marks the illustrious Cannes Film Festival's sixtieth anniversary. The eleven-day festival kicks off with Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights, an English language film starring Jude Law and singer Norah Jones. After the screening, German actress Diane Kruger will introduce the Opening Ceremony, which will premiere "Absurda," a short film made by David Lynch to mark the anniversary.

Twenty-two films will be screening in competition, including six films helmed by American directors: Joel and Ethan Coen, James Gray, Julian Schnabel, Gus Van Sant, David Fincher and Quentin Tarantino, back with Death Proof, his half of the box-office flop Grindhouse. Out of competition, Michael Moore screens his expose on the U.S. health care system Sicko and Steven Soderbergh will bring a hefty share of celebrities to the premiere of Ocean's Thirteen.

Marjane Satrapi's adaptation of her own graphic memoir Persepolis, a riveting coming of age story set in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, will also screen in competition. Other highly anticipated films include new works by Fatih Akin, Catherine Breillat, Emir Kusturica, Kim Ki-duk, Carlos Reygadas, Bela Tarr, and Alexandr Sokurov.

The nine member jury will be led by British filmmaker Stephen Frears (The Queen) and includes Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley, novelist Orhan Pamuk, and actors Maggie Cheung, Toni Collete, and Michel Piccoli. Read more at the official site and at GreenCine Daily.