Sarah Michelle Gellar

PARIS (Hollywood Reporter) - Organizers of the Cannes Film Festival said Thursday that three American films will compete for the coveted Palme d’Or when the event’s 59th edition gets underway May 17.

Of the 19 films "In Competition," only a few are from directors who have contested the top prize previously, in contrast to last year’s lineup dominated by Cannes regulars.

The field includes Richard Linklater’s "Fast Food Nation," an ensemble drama featuring Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Greg Kinnear;

Richard Kelly’s comedy musical thriller "Southland Tales," starring the Rock, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Mandy Moore; and Sofia Coppola’s biopic "Marie-Antoinette," starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman.

Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s drama "Babel," starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal, also made the cut. British hopes for the Palme d’Or will rest for the eighth time on Ken Loach and his film about Irish republicanism, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley."

The only Asian film to compete will be Ye Lou’s Chinese entry "Summer Palace." Chinese director Wong Kar Wai will head this year’s jury.

Notable Out of Competition screenings include Brett Ratner’s "X-Men: The Last Stand" and DreamWorks Animation’s raccoon tale "Over the Hedge."

The festival runs through May 28.

A full list of In Competition films follows:

CANNES 2006

IN COMPETITION:

"Flandres" (Bruno Dumont)

"Selon Charlie" (Nicole Garcia)

"Quand j’etais Chaunteur" (When I was a Singer) (Xavier Giannoli)

"Volver" (Pedro Almodovar)

"Red Road" (Andrea Arnold)

"La Raison du Plus Faible" (The Weakest is Always Right) (Lucas Belvaux)

"Indegenes" (Days Of Glory) (Rachid Bouchareb)

"Iklimer" (Climates) (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

"Marie-Antoinette" (Sofia Coppola)

"Juventude em Marcha" (Pedro Costa)

"Pan’s Labyrinth" (Guillermo Del Toro)

"Babel" (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

"Lights in the Dusk" ( Aki Kaurismaki)

"Southland Tales" (Richard Kelly)

"Fast Food Nation" (Richard Linklater)

"The Wind that Shakes the Barley" (Ken Loach)

"Summer Palace" (Lou Ye)

"The Caiman" ( Nanni Moretti)

"L’Amico del Famiglia" (Friend Of The Family) (Paolo Sorrentino)

OPENING FILM:

"The Da Vinci Code" ( Ron Howard)

CLOSING FILM:

"Transylvania" (Tony Gatlif)

OFFICIAL SELECTION — OUT OF COMPETITION SPECIAL

SCREENINGS:

"United 93" (Paul Greengrass)

"X-Men 3: The Last Stand" (Brett Ratner)

"Over The Hedge" (Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick)

OFFICIAL SELECTION — MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS:

"Shortbus" John Cameron Mitchell

"Election 2" Johnnie To

"Guisi" (Silk) Su Chao-pin