Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby poses during a photo call for After the Battle at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festivalgot underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
65th Annual Cannes Film Festival
1/8Actress Eva Longoria arrives for the opening ceremony and screening of Moonrise Kingdom at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, France, May 16, 2012.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
2/8Actress Jane Fonda, center right, embraces actor Alec Baldwin during the opening ceremony and screening of Moonrise Kingdom.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
3/8From left members of the jury Alexander Payne, Ewan McGregor, Diane Kruger, Hiam Abbass, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Andrea Arnold, Nanni Moretti, Raoul Peck, and Emmanuelle Devos at the opening ceremony at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
4/8From left, actors Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman attend the opening ceremony.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
5/8Singer Beth Ditto, at front, performs as members of the jury watch at the opening ceremony.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
6/8From left, actors Jessica Chastain, Martin Short, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer pose for fans during a photo call for Madagascar 3, May 17, 2012.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
7/8From left, actors Menna Shalaby, Bassem Samra, Nahed El Sebai, and director Yousry Nasrallah pose during a photo call for After the Battle.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
8/8Actors Matthias Schoenaerts and Marion Cotillard arrive for a press conference for Rust and Bone.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival got underway Wednesday with a lavish red carpet ceremony at the Riviera resort.
Previous slide
Next slide
The movie Moonrise Kingdom kicked off the 12 days of screenings, deal making and parties.
The film, featuring American actors Bill Murray and Bruce Willis, is among 22 vying for the coveted Palme D 'Or prize.
Actress Eva Longoria was among the stars making up the annual gathering, which showcases dozens of films hoping to gain recognition.
Cannes also features staged pranks by some movies seeking to generate attention for their films.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.