Americans trump British in Cannes prize shortlist

Published on Friday 20 April 2007 00:12

NEW films by the Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino and Gus Van Sant will be competing for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival - but there are no British titles in the competition.

The announcement will be a blow for the UK film industry following the recent successes of homegrown films such as Oscar winners The Queen and The Last King of Scotland.

The Coen brothers, famous for the likes of Fargo and Barton Fink, are in the running for their new film No Country For Old Men.

Tarantino, who won the prize in 1994 with Pulp Fiction, is in the running for his new movie Death Proof.

Gus Van Sant, also a previous winner with Elephant, is in competition with Paranoid Park.

Out of competition, the festival will be showing British director Michael Winterbottom's A Mighty Heart, starring Angelina Jolie.

Also appearing will be British short film For the Love of God and part British title, Mister Lonely.