The festival opens on May 12 with the screening of "The Barber of Siberia" by Nikita Mikhalkov (out of competition) kicking off the screenings of the 22 films in competition and the seven films out of competition including "An Ideal Husband" by Oliver Parker, which is closing the 12-day festival.

Among the regular competition favorites, a large number are bastions of their country's film production: Pedro Almodovar for Spain, Arturo Ripstein for Mexico, Chen Kaige for China, Manoel de Oliveira for Portugal... European filmmakers constitute a strong representation in the official selection while the United States has only 4 films in competition (4 out of competition) and Asia has three. Israel makes its appearance in the line-up for the first time in 25 years. Thirteen filmmakers are presenting at Cannes for the first time and two films - "Love Will Tear us Apart" by Yu Lik Wai and "Nos Vies Heureuses" (Our Happy Lives) by Jacques Maillot - are first films by these directors, therefore in competition for the Camera d'Or.