Thursday, May 12 2005 08:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Cannes: Indian actress Aishwarya Rai and US director Alexander Payne officially kicked off this year's Cannes film festival yesterday (May 11, 2005) before a theatre packed with celebrities and the great and good of world cinema.

"It's an absolute pleasure and honour for me to declare the 58th Cannes film festival open," Rai said in English, echoed directly after - in French - by Payne.

Their announcement was preceded by a gymnastic spectacle by a member of Canada's Cirque du Soleil troupe accompanied by haunting music and cinematic-style directions delivered by a man with a megaphone.

Those in the audience included US actor Dennis Hopper and French actress Catherine Deneuve, while this year's Cannes jury - among them Spanish actor Javier Bardem, Mexican actress Salma Hayek and the president of the panel, Sarajevo-born director Emir Kusturica - welcomed the opening on stage.

Rai, who is breaking through into international cinema, sat on the Cannes jury three years ago.

Payne, best known for his recent melancholic comedy "Sideways", had his 2002 movie "About Schmidt" entered in that year's competition for the Palme d'Or.

The 2005 festival runs for 12 days.