Sarah Michelle Gellar

Southland Tales has been chosen as one of the films in competition for the prestigious Palme d’Or award at this year’s Cannes film festival.

Richard Kelly, the man behind cult hit Donnie Darko, wrote and directed the project which stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, Justin Timberlake and American wrestling star The Rock.

The Rock told WWE: “I had never made an art-house movie so no one, including me, had a clue what was going to happen...It has the feel of a 1940s movie, that type of mystique. It’s a dark comedy, a musical, a thriller, a drama, all rolled into one.”

Southland Tales is one of only three American films being considered for the award, alongside Fast Food Nation and Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. Speaking about the award, The Rock added: “[It is the] Holy Grail of filmmaking, if you will. It’s the top of the heap. Just being chosen means you have arrived as an actor!”

The festival will be held from 17-28 May in the southern French coastal resort, and attended by the industry’s biggest stars.