Woody Allen, Cate Blanchett, Matthew McConaughey at Cannes

With the Cannes Film Festival set to open in just over a month's time, speculation is swirling over which films -- and which top actors -- could be getting their moment under the French Riviera's sun.
Woody Allen is seen as more than likely to be walking the red carpet with his new flick, "Irrational Man". Cate Blanchett might also be along for her movie "Carol". And fellow Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey could appear for "The Sea of Trees" the latest film by director Gus Van Sant, which also stars Naomi Watts.
Cannes's organisers jealously guard their selections for the competition line-up and the out-of-competition programme until a month before the film fest opens.
They also have a dizzying task in choosing which movies make the cut, wading through some 1,800 films to winnow them down to short lists.
The director of the festival, Thierry Fremaux, said last week that "there is no more than a third of the selection definitively decided".
He added that he and his selection committee "watch the movies right to the end".
This year, the movies to be shown at Cannes will be announced on April 16, and the festival will run from May 13 to 24.
So far the only movie confirmed to be screened is "Mad Max: Fury Road". The dystopian sci-fi movie, the fourth in the high-action "Mad Max" franchise and the first to star British actor Tom Hardy in the title role, will be shown out of competition on May 14 just before its worldwide release.
Cannes mixes international arthouse cinema, Hollywood blockbusters, extravagant parties, industry wheeling and dealing, and eye-catching publicity stunts in a potent cocktail that has made it the pre-eminent global showcase for movies.