PARIS, France – The world’s most glamorous film festival opens in Cannes on Tuesday, promising another busy fortnight of world premieres, star-studded red carpets, parties and fashion.

Here are some of the most anticipated moments and appearances:

The main competition

A total of 22 films are competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or for best film, which will be awarded on 23 May.

Art-house heavyweights such as Spain’s Pedro Almodóvar, Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda and Romania’s Cristian Mungiu will compete against emerging talent including Belgian prodigy Lukas Dhont and France’s Léa Mysius.

There is industry buzz around “Hope” by South Korean director Na Hong-jin, starring real-life partners Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, as well as AI and technology-themed “Sheep in the Box” by acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda.

The nine-person jury this year will be headed by South Korean director Park Chan-wook and will also feature US celebrity Demi Moore, star of “The Substance”.

Hollywood’s absence

Unlike previous editions which featured Tom Cruise productions “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun”, no major US studios have chosen Cannes to launch a blockbuster.

Hollywood has traditionally provided razzle-dazzle and mass-market entertainment alongside the more edgy, independent cinema in the Cannes programme.

Reasons for their absence include cost-cutting, a growing preference for tightly controlled social media-led launches, and the risk that harsh reviews from Cannes critics can damage a film’s prospects.

Travolta

One person not deterred by the prospect of scrutiny from some of the film industry’s most demanding audiences is film legend John Travolta.

The aviation-enthusiast actor will bring star power when he presents his directorial debut, “Propeller One-Way Night Coach”, about a young boy’s journey in the “golden age of aviation”.

Star-studded line-up

Leading actors from around the world will appear on the Cannes red carpets over the next fortnight.

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are set to promote “Paper Tiger”, a thriller by American director James Gray, while “Bohemian Rhapsody” star Rami Malek appears in “The Man I Love” by Ira Sachs.

Spanish favourite Javier Bardem, Norwegian star Renate Reinsve, Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson all feature in films set to screen for the first time on the French Riviera.

Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett are also set to make appearances, while Barbra Streisand and “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson will receive lifetime achievement awards.

A Russian returns

The appearance of one of Russia’s most decorated independent directors, Andrey Zvyagintsev, will be celebrated for both artistic and personal reasons.

The Oscar-nominated director of “Leviathan” and “Loveless” nearly died from Covid, spending months in hospital, and fled his homeland after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

His first film since 2017 is called “Minotaur” and tackles the hugely sensitive issue of the Russian bourgeoisie grappling with army conscription at the start of the Ukraine war.

Football

There will be a surprising amount of football at the festival, including a British documentary “Cantona” about legendary French forward Eric Cantona.

An Argentine film, “The Match”, casts a spotlight on the notorious England-Argentina 1986 World Cup match settled by a goal awarded after a handball by Diego Maradona.

AI-created Lennon

Director Steven Soderbergh will present his documentary “John Lennon: The Last Interview”, which features The Beatles songwriter hours before his murder.

Soderbergh has turned the audio-only recording into a film, using archival pictures as illustration and – controversially – AI-generated images of the late singer.

Best of the rest

With war-torn Iran in the news, “Rehearsals for a Revolution” by Pegah Ahangarani, a film about political repression, appears timely.

After a Nigerian film screened in an official slot at Cannes for the first time last year, twin brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri will represent Nollywood again when they show “Clarissa”.

Selected for the Director’s Fortnight competition, it features “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri and “Selma” actor David Oyelowo.

“The Godfather III” and “Ocean’s Eleven” actor Andy Garcia presents “Diamond”, a “passion project” he has been working on for 15 years.

The first film of a big-budget two-part French production on wartime hero and political colossus Charles de Gaulle will be a major event for the host country.