This combination of pictures created on April 17, 2014 shows (From Top to Bottom, L-R) Russian director Andrei Zviaguintsev, French director Bertrand Bonello, US director Tommy Lee Jones, Japanese director Naomi Kawase, Canadian director Atom Egoyan, Canadian director Xavier Dolan, Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, British director Ken Loach, US director Bennett Miller, Belgian director Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, French director Michel Hazanavicius, British film director Mike Leigh, Swiss film director Jean-Luc Godard, French film director Olivier Assayas, and Canadian director David Cronenberg, whose films where amongst the 18 selected to compete for the top Palme d'Or prize at next month's Cannes Film Festival. Just 18 of the more than 1,700 films submitted have been rewarded with a coveted slot on the Cannes shortlist, organisers said on April 17. AFP PHOTO

This combination of pictures created on April 17, 2014 shows (From L, upper rank) US director Bennett Miller, Belgian directors Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, French director Michel Hazanavicius, Russian director Andrei Zviaguintsev, French director Bertrand Bonello, US director Tommy Lee Jones, Japanese director Naomi Kawase, (From L, lower rank) British film director Mike Leigh, Swiss film director Jean-Luc Godard, French film director Olivier Assayas, Canadian director David Cronenberg, Canadian director Atom Egoyan, Canadian director Xavier Dolan, Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and British director Ken Loach, whose films where amongst the 18 selected to compete for the top Palme d'Or prize at next month's Cannes Film Festival. Just 18 of the more than 1,700 films submitted have been rewarded with a coveted slot on the Cannes shortlist, organisers said on April 17. AFP PHOTO