A Cannes Film Festival light on Hollywood but not lacking in star power kicks off in France

CANNES, France (AP) — The red carpet has been rolled out at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in the South of France. The French Riviera festival beginning Tuesday will include 12 days of nonstop world premieres before culminating May 23 with the presentation of the Palme d’Or. The festivities kick off with the opening-night film, “The Electric Kiss,” and the awarding of an honorary Palme d’Or to the “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson. What isn’t at Cannes has been as buzzed about as much as what is. Hollywood is largely absent this year. But if Cannes has waned as a global launchpad for studio releases, it has grown as a breeding ground for Oscar contenders.

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