Kidman Contributes to the Cannes Cruise

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday April 23, 2003 01:00 PM EDT

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This year's Cannes Film Festival is looking to have a Tom Cruise theme.

Not that Tom himself is starring in any of the films. Both the ex-Mrs. Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and current Cruise squeeze Penelope Cruz will have competing films at cinema's annual two-week rite of spring, whose 56th edition kicks off May 14.

On opening night, Cruz, 28, stars in the premiere attraction, French director Gerard Krawczyk's swashbuckling 18th century adventure comedy "Fanfan la Tulipe," a remake of a 1952 French film about a peasant hero duped by a gypsy girl into joining the army, reports Reuters.

A few days later, Kidman, 35, will arrive as the star of director Las von Trier's new film "Dogville." (The Danish filmmaker's previous works include Cannes favorites "Breaking the Waves" and "Dancer in the Dark.")

The film is described as minimalist -- that is, with minimal sets and props, making it like early TV dramas -- and is set in a Rocky Mountain town in the 1930s.

Cannes announced the entries, as well as most of its entire festival roster, in Paris Wednesday. Previously, Meg Ryan and "Ocean's 11" director Steven Soderbergh were announced as members of the festival's international jury.

The 20 films selected for the main competition include three directed by Americans: Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River," Vincent Gallo's "The Brown Bunny" and Gus Van Sant's "Elephant," said organizers.