Shrek to take on Ladykillers at Cannes '04

The countdown to the 57th Cannes Film Festival has begun.

With stars like Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, and Eddie Murphy expected to walk down the red carpet, the festival, from May 12 to 23, promises to be an exciting affair.

A report in People magazine says the festival's nine-member jury will be headed by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2). The other members include French actress Emmanuelle Beart (who acted in Hollywood's Mission Impossible), and British actress Tilda Swinton (Adaptation).

Last year, India's very own Aishwarya Rai made it to Cannes as one of the judges. The light-eyed beauty is scheduled to make an appearance this year again. L'Oreal, for which she is brand ambassador, is the official sponsor of Cannes.

Of the 18 films in competition, including Shrek 2 and The Ladykillers, there are three from France and one from Thailand. This is a first for the Thai film industry.

Wolfgang Peterson's grand epic Troy, starring Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, and Eric Bana, will be shown out of competition.

Stephen Hopkins's The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, featuring Oscar winners Geoffrey Rush (Shine) and Theron (Monster), and Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 are vying for the Palme d'Or.

Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education will kickstart the prestigious festival, while Irwin Winkler's De-Lovely will be the closing film.