Hollywood stars including Lashana Lynch, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Eva Longoria and Forest Whittaker were photographed on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival.
Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a surprise message at the opening ceremony of the prestigious event.
The Ukrainian president told audiences at the 75th annual awards that it was “necessary for cinema not to be silent”, during a message that was translated live into French and given a standing ovation.
The festival is expected to see star-studded premieres for upcoming films including Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick, with Tom Cruise returning to Cannes for the latter for the first time in 30 years.
The Hollywood A-lister is also due to receive a special tribute to his career ahead of the film’s screening on May 18.
Films starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba and Kristen Stewart are due to be unveiled at the festival in the south of France.
Whittaker, who won best actor at Cannes 34 years ago for his performance as Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s Bird, was presented an honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony.
Despite being subject to heavy Covid protocols in 2021, this year’s Cannes has largely done away with pandemic measures.
