KEN LOACH - LOACH AND LINKLATER UP FOR PALME D'OR

Directors KEN LOACH and RICHARD LINKLATER are preparing to battle it out for the Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival next month (MAY06). Loach's new movie THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY will compete with Linklater's screen adaptation of best-selling book FAST FOOD NATION for the coveted prize. Spanish film-maker PEDRO ALMODOVAR's VOLVER and SOFIA COPPOLA's MARIE-ANTOINETTE are also in the running to bag the festival's biggest accolade. Meanwhile, NANNI MORETTI's satire of Italian leader SILVIO BERLUSCONI - IL CAIMANO (THE CAIMAN) - is also a contender, while France has four movies up for the gong, including new work from NICOLE GARCIA and BRUNO DUMONT.