Cannes kicks off with a more socially-minded tone

The film festival opens with French drama 'Standing Tall' directed by actress-filmmaker Emmanuelle Bercot.

The Cannes Film Festival unrolled its red carpet with a socially minded French drama, striking a more serious tone than the high dose of glamour the festival often opens with.

Standing Tall about a juvenile delinquent co-starring Catherine Deneuve, screened on Wednesday ahead of its evening premiere as the festival got underway beneath sunny French Riviera skies.

Directed by the French actress-filmmaker Emmanuelle Bercot,

Standing Tall is only the second film directed by a woman to open Cannes, where the dearth of female filmmakers has sometimes been noted.

Joel and Ethan Coen are presiding over the jury that will decide Cannes’ prestigious Palme d’Or this year. They were set to introduce their jury, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Sienna Miller, later in the day.