Cannes Film Festival 2012: first day movie selections

The 65th Festival de Cannes opens today on the French Riviera with 8 films generating big buzz.

Out of 1,779 films submitted this year, only 54 features made the cut.

From Moonrise Kingdom to Cosmopolis, you’ll find many mysterious twists in this year’s top line-up. And watch for red carpet photos with familiar faces including Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Bruce Willis, Robin Pattinson, Kristin Stewart and Director Philip Kaufman.

1. Moonrise Kingdom – Bruce Willis and Bill Murray – Wes Anderson’s film will open the festival on May 16th and play in competition. In this film, a couple of young lovers escape their New England town, which results in a local search party for them.

2. Killing Them Softly – Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta – Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is a professional enforcer who investigates a crime that went down during a mob-protected poker game.

3. Mud – Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Shannon – When encountering a fugitive, two teenage boys agree to help him run from the bounty hunters and reunite with his true love.

4. The Paperboy – Zac Efron (The Lucky One), John Cusack, Matthew McConaughey, and Nicole Kidman – This film was directed by Lee Williams, who directed Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Precious. In this film, a reporter goes back to his hometown in Florida to investigate a case and find out more about a death-row inmate.

5. Lawless – Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf – This film is a prohibition-era American saga directed by Australian John Hillcoat. Set during the Depression-era in Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities that demand part of their profits.

6. Cosmopolis – Robert Pattinson, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand – Traveling across New York City in a stretch limo for a haircut, this film follows a 28-year-old billionaire Asset Manager’s day that evolves into a journey with a cast of characters that break apart his world.

7. Rust and Bone – Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard – Ali leaves the north of France for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. His bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie has a terrible accident.

8. Hemingway & Gellhorn – Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen – Produced by HBO Films, this historic piece is the story of Ernest Hemingway and his third wife. Nicole Kidman plays Hemingway’s war-reporter wife Martha Gellhorn in a production screening out of the Cannes competition.

This year Festival de Cannes will pay tribute to Hemingway & Gellhorn director Philip Kaufman, who will be leading the Master Class. Following Martin Scorsese, Stephen Frears, Nanni Moretti, Wong Kar Wai and Sydney Pollack, Philip Kaufman will talk to Michel Ciment about filmmaking and his passion for cinema.

There are four juries who will be judging the 2012 films, including 1. Feature Film (President Nanni Moretti), 2. Cinefoundation and Short Films (President Jean-Pierre Dardenne), 3. Un Certain Regard (President Tim Roth), and 4. Golden Camera (Carlos Diegues).