PARIS - A kind of good-humored anticipation is manifest inside UGC’s Normandie movie theater on the Champs Elysées: today we find out who the Cannes nominees are. I plop into a chair next to a friend, who, punctual as always, already found his seat. We come out of the theater about an hour later, our marching orders in hand. Eighteen films in the competition series, and eighteen other ones in the Un Certain Regard program.

In about an hour I’ll be getting ready to get over to the Champs Elysées cineplex where the Cannes Festival's Thierry Frémaux and Gilles Jacob will be holding their press conference. Just a few last minute thoughts about the would-be selection; it appears that the French will make a strong showing this year (Screen Comment is based in Paris, can't hardly start an article without mentioning this country's eminent cinema first) with

French designer Hervé Chigioni and collaborator Gilles Frappier based this […]

The Cannes Festival's Thierry Frémaux and Gilles Jacob will be holding their annual press conference this Thursday here in Paris. The full list of films competing for the Palme D'Or and the Un Certain Regard will be revealed then. Already confirmed for the May 14-25 festival is opener "Grace of Monaco" starring Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly. Here's our guess as to who else will be on that list: