Cannes opens with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver musical 'Annette'

The musical drama "Annette," starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, had its world premiere on the French Riviera on Tuesday as the Cannes Film Festival made a glitzy in-person return after a pandemic hiatus.

Both Cotillard and Driver attended the opening gala and were on the famed red carpet, along with Oscar-winning actress and director Jodie Foster, who is being given a honorary Palme D'Or at this year's event for her life's work in cinema.

Given the varying coronavirus precautions and travel requirements still in place around the world, it was unclear how many stars would make it to the red carpet this year.

Cannes, considered the world's premier film festival, could not take place in 2020. This year's 74th edition was pushed back from May to July, in order to give more time for the health situation to improve.

A slew of hygiene and safety protocols have been put in place, including mandatory mask-wearing inside cinemas at all times.

Director Leos Carax's "Annette" is the first of 24 entries showing in the two-week festival this year. The Palme d'Or for best picture will handed out on July 17.

The festival has selected four women filmmakers to join the battle for the Palme d'Or, including three from France: Mia Hansen-Love, Catherine Corsini and Julia Ducournau. Hungary's Ildiko Enyedi rounds out the group.

Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov's "Petrov's Flu," developed during his house arrest between 2017 and 2019, has also being given a slot in the main competition.

Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi also returns to Cannes this year to carry the flag for Iran with "A Hero."

US Oscar-winning director Spike Lee heads up this year's jury - the first black person to be given the distinction.