The 66<sup>th Cannes Film Festival has kicked off in the south of France with the international premiere of The Great Gatsby, a flamboyant 3D adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Carey Mulligan.

20 films are in competition the main competition, including new works from the Coen Brothers, Alexander Payne and Jim Jarmusch. Anticipating is building for Only God Forgives, a reteaming of Ryan Gosling with Drive-director Nicholas Winging Refn, and Behind the Candelabra, Steven Soderbergh's HBO TV movie about Liberace's lover, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.

Steven Spielberg presides over this year's jury that will choose which films scoops the top prize, the Palm d'Or. Last year's winner was French language drama Amour by Michael Haneke, a film that went on to be nominated for Best Picture at the 2013 Oscars.

Written and presented by Alfred Joyner