Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, Joaquin Phoenix To Debut Movies At Cannes Film Festival

The 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival officially began last Wednesday with a beautiful opening ceremony, which included premiere of Emmanuelle Bercot’s film, “La Tete Haute” starring Catherine Deneuve, making it the first time the Festival begins with a film directed by a woman. The festival is not only known to unofficially start the race towards the highest honors in film later in the year, but also for its star-studded jury in charge of handing out the prestigious honors the festival entails.

This year’s judge panel is presided by filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, and it includes newcomer, Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro and actors Siena Miller, Sophie Marceau, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rokia Traore and Rossy de Palma. And on that note, here are some of the movies the jury as well as festivalgoers will get to enjoy before the rest of the world does:

“Amy”: A documentary about the talented British singer who left us too soon at the age of 27, in July 2011, due to an apparent drug overdose. Unseen footage and recordings of Winehouse will appear in the film featuring Nick Shymansky.

“Carol”: The romantic drama is based on the novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith and directed by Todd Haynes. Set in 1950s New York, a department-store clerk (Rooney Mara) who dreams of a better life falls for a married woman (Cate Blanchett.)

“Sicario”: Members (Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin) of a government task force enlist an idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) to aid them in their plan to take down the brutal chieftain of a Mexican drug cartel.

“The Tale of Tales”: Matteo Garrone's movie “Tale of Tales” based on the stories of Giambattista Basile, from the XVII century is as bloody as it is intriguing, starring Salma Hayek and John C. Reilly.

“Irrational Man”: In Woody Allen’s next perfectly scored film, a philosophy professor (Joaquin Pheonix) in the grip of an existential crisis begins an affair with a student played by Emma Stone.

“The Sea of Trees”: Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Chris Sparling. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as a man who decides to go and die into Aokigahara, known as the Sea of Trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of Japan’s Mount Fuji.