Editor

Today's long-awaited premier of Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones
coincides with a controversial discussion of director George Lucas' call for
the conversion of cinemas to digital format. According to The Hollywood Reporter,
the long-awaited Stars Wars: Episode II premier today will be accompanied by
a news conference where Lucas is expected to make a case for movie houses' digital
conversion. Lucas and his supporters face strong opposition from the major studios.

The abundance of documentary films in Cannes are highlighted by two American
works, one by famed documentary marker, Michael Moore, the other by Hollywood
actress, Rosanna Arquette. Arquette's Searching for Debra Winger premiers this
evening and documents the lives of several major working actresses in the film
industry. Moore's project, Bowling for Columbine, is rumored to have won favor
with the critics thus far for its portrayal of America's gun culture. Documentaries
are back in style with a new trend in non-fiction cinema.

South Africa's appearance at this year's festival has been widely discussed
by industry professionals. The government's National Film Foundation is here
in Cannes to promote the nation's film industry. Their hope is to boost the
film sector as an important source of foreign exchange and job creation. South
Africa is heralded as a new hotspot for movie production, offering ideal shoot
locations, inexpensive crews, and an excellent US dollar exchange rate.

Middle Eastern pictures featured at this year's festival include tonight's
premier of Kedma by Amos Gitai, which explores the first experiences in Palestine
of European immigrants in 1948. Recent events in the Middle East have, according
to the trades, heightened public awareness of the region's political issues
and provided high levels of anticipation for Middle Eastern-themed films at
this year's festival. The Critics Week kicks off today with Rana's Wedding by
Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad. The film deals with a young Palestinian
woman who has only one day in order to organize her wedding despite her father's
opposition and the difficult logistics in Jerusalem.

This year's Jury met for the first time Tuesday and reports are that the group,
headed by David Lynch, had an excellent feeling for the outcome of the festival.
They look forward to good discussions and debates. According to The Hollywood
Reporter, there seemed to be agreement amongst the group that "openness
of mind and allowing the movies to win over the jurors' affections" were
the most important aspects of the panel."