Cannes Film Festival 2015: 19 films compete for the Palme d'Or.

In less than 24 hours, the 68th Cannes Film Festival will begin in France.

To date, all preparations are nearing completion. With many innovative and groundbreaking features, the festival organizers hope that the 12-day film event in the beautiful city of Cannes on the Cote d'Azur will create exciting surprises and that the competition for the Palme d'Or among 19 films will be exciting.

This year, the film "La tête haute" (literally "Hold Your Head High") by French director Emmanuelle Bercot has the honor of being selected to open the film festival.

It can be seen that in recent years, the organizers of the Cannes Film Festival have gradually changed their approach, no longer choosing blockbuster or highly acclaimed films for the opening screening.

Thierry Frémaux, Director of the Cannes Film Festival, affirmed that the choice of a film by a female director to open the festival was a surprise, as the organizers wanted to offer an unconventional start.

“I don’t usually like discussing films by female directors. This year we chose Emmanuelle’s film to open because it honestly reflects contemporary society, focusing on common social issues, making it perfectly relevant to a global audience. Furthermore, through this selection, we hope that world cinema will see more female directors, editors, and novelists,” said Thierry Frémaux.

Also aiming to celebrate women, the face chosen as the symbol of the Cannes Film Festival is another female star - Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman. Her name is associated with classic works such as Casablanca, For Whom the Bell Tolls...

Among the 19 films officially competing for the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, three standout contenders are "Youth" by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, starring Michael Caine.

Japanese director Hirozaku Koreeda, who won an award at Cannes 2013 with "Like Father, Like Son," returns with the highly anticipated film "Our Little Sister."

Recently, the media has also frequently mentioned Matteo Garrone's film The Tale of Tales as a strong contender for the top award.

Host nation France dominated with five entries. This year, Asian cinema had three films competing at the Cannes Film Festival, including two from China and one from Japan. Victor Vũ's Vietnamese film did not compete for an award but was presented by distributor Fortissimo on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival.

At this moment, the atmosphere of the film festival has permeated the streets of Cannes. Nearly 300,000 tourists and film enthusiasts flocked to the Croisette boulevard, where famous stars from all over the world gathered.

“We came here because we love cinema and movies. The Cannes Film Festival is unique in the world because so many celebrities come together in one place at the same time, where we can see them up close. Normally, you only see them in movies. When I come here, I can see them every day. It’s so fun and amazing that this is happening right where we live, so close. The 68th Cannes Film Festival is Europe’s biggest film event and is always eagerly awaited every year,” said one visitor.

The climate change film "La Glace et le Ciel" (Ice and Sky) by director Luc Jacquet was selected for screening on closing day.

Canadian director Xavier Dolan, 26, is the youngest member of the jury ever, alongside veteran actors such as Isabella Rossellini and Jake Gyllenhaal. Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen serve as presidents of the jury.

With France still on high alert following the terrorist attacks in Paris in January of this year, security at the Cannes Film Festival has been significantly increased and tightened by the authorities.

According to VOV.VN