Canadian films to screen at Cannes

It will be a cosy group of Canadians at Cannes this year, with three Canuck productions headed to the city's famed film festival.

Telefilm Canada confirmed Thursday the three films that will be headed to sunny Cannes for this year's edition, which runs May 16-27.

As previously announced, L'ge des tnbres (The Age of Darkness), the latest from celebrated Quebec filmmaker Denys Arcand, will close the festival and screen out of competition.

The highly anticipated film is billed as the final instalment of Arcand's trilogy, which began with The Decline of the American Empire and continued with The Barbarian Invasions, which picked up screenwriting and acting honours in Cannes in 2003 before eventually winning a host of other awards, including an Academy Award for best foreign language film.

Also previously announced, Madame Tuli-Putli, a National Film Board animated short by Montrealers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, will screen during the festival's International Critics' Week.

Joining it will be the Canadian-Belgian-French co-production Voleurs de chevaux, helmed by Belgian director Micha Wald.

Also representing Canada at Cannes will be actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley, who will serve on the jury deciding the Palme d'or the festival's highest honour. Polley's directorial debut, the drama Away From Her, opens theatrically Friday.

Two of the Cannes festival's favourite Canadians David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan are among the internationally renowned directors who have each submitted a three-minute short film for this year's To Each His Own Cinema project, designed to celebrate the festival's 60th anniversary.

Canadian composer Howard Shore will also be in attendance to present a masterclass on music, accompanied by Cronenberg, with whom he has collaborated in the past.

Other films to screen at Cannes include Death Proof by Quentin Tarantino, Paranoid Park by Gus Van Sant, No Country for Old Men by the Coen brothers, Zodiac by David Fincher, Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar Waiand Promise Me This by Sarajevo-born Emir Kusturica.