TheCannes Film Festival has announced it will open the Un Certain Regard sidebar with the collection of shorts entitled ParisJe T'Aime.

Paris Je T'Aime, produced by Claudie Ossard (of Amelie fame) and Emmanuel Benbihy,is a series of 20 short films shot by renowned international directors in eachof the capital city's 20 arrondissements ordistricts.

Each story, about finding love, is told in fiveminutes by directors such as Alfonso Cuaron, Gurinder Chadha, Gus Van Sant, the Coen brothers, Nobuhiro Suwa, Alexander Payne,Richard LaGravenese, Tom Tykwer,Vincenzo Natali, Walter Salles, Wes Craven, Olivier Assayas,Sylvain Chomet, Gerard Depardieu and Bruno Podalydes.

The film boasts performances by such actors asBen Gazzara, Bob Hoskins,Elijah Wood, Emily Mortimer, Fanny Ardant, Gaspard Ulliel, Gena Rowlands,Hippolyte Girardot, Juliette Binoche, Ludivine Sagnier, Barbet Schroeder, Maggie Gyllenhaal,Natalie Portman, Nick Nolte, Steve Buschemi, WillemDafoe and Yolande Moreau.

Un Certain Regard opens on May 18, thesecond day of the official festival, and wraps on May 27 one day before themain event's closing ceremony. Last year's big prize went to Romania's The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu by Cristi Puiu.