The opening of the 61st Cannes film festival on Thursday (May 14) was a star studded affair with stars like actor Sean Penn, Eva Longoria, Julliane Moore, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and Clint Eastwood seen on the red carpet. But with natural calamities striking China and Myanmar, the film opening the festival was chosen with care.�The opening film, by�two-time Oscar-nominated director Fernando Meirelles, is a hard-hitting one called "Blindness" starring Julianne Moore, about a world where people have lost their sight. The film highlights a near-apocalypse and a government unable to deal with a human disaster.�Before the film's premiere, actor - and Cannes jury president Sean Penn - called on film distributors to continue their support: "Cannes has always selected such great films and watching all the great actors and film makers of the last selection shows that this is another year of that. And we are going to be sending some love letters to some of these movies and I would like to encourage the distributors of the ones that those letters don't come to to leave with the confidence you came with and keep supporting." Also due to attend the festival is the Jolie-Pitt clan, who are already in the city. Angelina Jolie has confirmed that she is indeed is having twins - thanks to a slip of the tongue of actor Jack Black on the opening day of the festival. Representing the Indian contingent was Aishwarya Rai, who has been a regular at the festival. In an interview Rai recounted her favourite Cannes experience."It would have to be the firt time, when I was here with my movie 'Devdas' which had the most spectacular reception. The last time, I got married just the month before so it was very special to be back here this time, there was literally welcome reception. My parents-in-law are coming here this time as well and - well my father-in-law (Amitabh Bachchan) is an institution in our cinema and my mother-in-law (Jaya Bachchan nee Bhaduri) also is very, very respected. So it's great, they'll get to experience what I do each year as well." she said. ... read more »