Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Kevin Costner top formidable Cannes lineup

Paris, April 11 (IANS) Even as the Indian media celebrates the inclusion of Payal Kapadia's first feature film in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, world cinema's most prestigious event this year will bring together several iconic filmmakers, reports 'Variety'.

The roster includes notable names such as Francis Ford Coppola with 'Megalopolis' starring Adam Driver, George Miller with 'Furiosa' featuring Anya Taylor-Joy, and 'Star Wars' creator George Lucas, who will be feted with an honorary Palme d'Or.

Kevin Costner will also be on hand with the first installment of his Western epic, 'Horizon, An American Saga'.

Some of the high-profile films in the pipeline for this year's competition, according to 'Variety', include 'Poor Things' helmer Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Kinds of Kindness', a stylised three-part story set in the present that reunites the Greek director with Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe; Paul Schrader's 'Oh Canada' with Richard Gere, based on a screenplay by the late Russell Banks ('Affliction'); Jacques Audiard's musical melodrama 'Emilia Perez' with Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez; Paolo Sorrentino's 'Parthenope' starring Gary Oldman; and David Cronenberg’s 'The Shrouds' featuring Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger.

There's also Coralie Fargeat's 'The Substance', a female-powered horror film starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

'Barbie' director Greta Gerwig will be presiding over the jury.

Last year, the festival set a record in terms of representation of women, inviting seven female directors to the Official Competition, 'Variety' adds. The Palme d'Or was ultimately awarded to Justine Triet for 'Anatomy of a Fall' -- and it was just the third time that a woman had won the festival's top honor (and the film went on to win the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

This year, the number of women in competition stands at just four, including India's Payal Kapadia.

Hollywood, notes 'Variety', may have a lighter presence because of a combination of factors -- including last year's actors' and writers' strikes, which created production delays, as well as a tough economy -- but this year's festival will see no shortage of glamour and stars on the red carpet.

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