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Expat directors shine but Australian films shunned at Cannes

Not a single Australian feature film has made it into competition at the Cannes Film Festival following the line-up announcement.

While two Australian directors will see their films in competition to win an award, no local productions have made the cut.

Chopper director Andrew Dominik’s new film Killing Them Softly, formerly titled Cogan’s Trade, starring Brad Pitt and Ben Mendelsohn will compete. The film also features Australian actress Bella Heathcote.

The Proposition director John Hillcoat’s Lawless will also run in competition. Hillcoat teamed up with The Proposition’s screenwriter Nick Cave on the script and on screen, Guy Pearce and with fellow Australians Jason Clarke and Mia Wasikowska as well as Gary Oldman and  Shia La Bouffe for the film set in depression-era Virginia.

As previously announced Yardbird, by Good Oil’s Michael Spiccia will compete in the short film competition, as will Night Shift by Zia Mandviwalla of New Zealand’s arm of Curious Film.

Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom open the festival with Claude Miller’s Therese Desqueyroux, starring Audrey Tautou closing the film.

Australian film-makers can still hold hope however as the line up for Critic’s Week and the Director’s Fortnight have yet to be announced.

Last year Sleeping Beauty appeared in Competition with Ivan Sen’s Toomelah in the Un Certain Regard category and Snowtown in the Critic’s Week.

Nicole Kidman will also appear in Lee Daniels The Paperboy.

The line up has a strong European slant this year.

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