Cannes Film Festival 2012: stars come out to shine on film festival red carpet

Eva Longoria was among the famous faces on the red carpet at the opening night gala of this year's Cannes Film Festival

Jane Fonda, Bruce Willis, Eva Longoria and Lana Del Rey were among the famous faces on the red carpet at the opening night gala of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

They and a host of other stars were on hand to see Moonrise Kingdom, the new film from US director Wes Anderson, launch the annual cinema showcase.

Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and Britain’s Tilda Swinton joined other cast members at the movie’s glitzy premiere.

The film is one of 22 in contention for Cannes’ prestigious Palme d’Or award.

Eva Longoria was among the famous faces on the red carpet at the opening night gala of this year's Cannes Film Festival

Reactions to Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom have been broadly positive.

Moonrise Kingdom was a suitable curtain-raiser for a festival in which US films and directors are heavily represented.

The main competition line-up contains six US-based movies, among them a new thriller starring Brad Pitt and an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel On the Road.

“American cinema is back in force,” said Cannes’ artistic director Thierry Fremaux, when he announced the programme last month.

The US invasion continues on Friday with an out of competition screening of the latest DreamWorks animation, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.

On Thursday the Critic’s Week sidebar launches with Broken, a London-based drama from acclaimed theatre director Rufus Norris, starring Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy.

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Sonia Pantiss

Sonia is the heart and the artist of the team. She loves art and all that it implies. As Sonia says, good music, a well directed movie, or attending a music or film festival melts people’s heart and make them better. She is great at painting and photography. Working on scrapbooks is her favorite activity.