Short films to compete at Cannes Film Festival announced

New Zealand director Jane Campion will lead the jury A Palestinian film is for the first time short listed to compete for the Palme d'Or at next month's Cannes film festival, organisers said on Tuesday. New Zealand director Jane Campion, who won the Palme d'Or in 1993 for The Piano and the top short film prize in 1986 for Peel will head the jury.The short film selection committee sifted through over 3,500 submissions from filmmakers in 132 countries to pick just nine to compete at the film fest.
The works selected are: Ali Asgari,More Than Two Hours (Iran); Mohammed Abou Nasser, Condom Lead (Palestinian Territories, Jordan); Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson, Whale Valley (Iceland, Denmark); Sasaki Omoi, The Meteorite and Impotence (Japan); Gilles Coulier, Mont Blanc (Belgium); Elzbieta Benkowska, Olena (Poland); Annarita Zambrano, Ophelia (France); Moon Byounggon, Safe (South Korea); and Adriano Valerio 37°4S (France).
Cannes organisers also unveiled the 18 films selected to compete in the Cinefondation selection which highlights student films from around the world.
They include 14 fiction films and four animated films chosen from the 1,500-odd films submitted.
Three Cinefondation prizes will be awarded.