ADVERTISEMENT

Cannes Film Festival announces 2012 line-up

Queensland-born John Hillcoat (The Road) and New Zealander Andrew Dominik (Chopper) will both have films in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival.

Hillcoat, who graduated from Swinburne Film School, is the director of Lawless, a film set in Depression-era Virginia which stars Guy Pearce and Mia Wasikowska and Gary Oldman. The screenplay was penned by Hillcoat's long time collaborator, singer/songwriter Nick Cave.

Dominik's crime thriller Killing Them Softly  features Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) alongisde Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta.

Lawless and Killing Them Softly will compete against films from David Cronenberg, Lee Daniels and Wes Anderson.

Australian short The Yardbird has been selected for the short film category and will compete against nine other films, including New Zealand's Night Shift.

2010 Sydney Film Prize winner Xavier Dolan's third film Laurence Anyways will feature in the Un certain regard line-up.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 16 until May 27.