PARIS -- The 18th Paris Film Festival will spotlight Blighty when it opens it doors March 24.
It boasts a roster of British luminaries including Malcolm McDowell as jury president and an English Artistic Delegation including Rupert Everett, Christopher Lee, Peter O'Toole, Michael Yorke and Patsy Kensit.
Isabelle Adjani will be President of Honor. Adjani, who is known to be camera-shy, was criticized for her short closing speech last year when she was jury prexy.
But while the British pics will set the tone, pics from the U.S. bookend it. Alan Parker will be on hand when his "The Life of David Gale" starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet, kicks off the fest. Bringing up the rear is Denzel Washington's first foray into helming "Antwone Fisher" on April 1.
The future of the Paris Film Festival has been in doubt since the mayor's office pulled its 76,000 euro ($83,000) contribution -- a third of the fest's budget -- in October. Mayor Betrand Delanoe has mounted a rival event, which will take place in July.
The goal of the Paris Film Festival is to spotlight new helmers, and the official competition is made up of first and second-time helmers. The list of 14 pics includes French and Asian films, with one U.S. pic, "The Secretary" from Steven Shainberg, and a couple from Eastern Europe.
The grand prize, L'Arc D'Or, bestows a $109,000 marketing campaign on its winner.
The fest also intends to put special emphasis on its Cine-Roman Carte Noire Prize for the most cinematographic French novel. Organizers have lined up Francophile John Malkovich to the head the jury and Gallic actress Anouk Aimee as the President of Honor.
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