CANNES FILM FESTIVAL - CANNES HEAD URGES JURY TO FOCUS ON FILM-MAKING

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL head GILLES JACOB has urged this year's (05) jury to focus on film-making, not politics, after anti-GEORGE W BUSH documentary FAHRENHEIT 9/11 claimed the Palme D'Or honour last year (MAY04).

As the annual French Cote D'Azur event opens today (11MAY05), Jacob said that while Fahrenheit director MICHAEL MOORE was a great talent in the movie world, industry skills, such as cinematography and plotlines, need to be given top recognition.

Jacob says, "Michael Moore's talent is not in doubt.

"But in this case, it was a question of a satirical tract that was awarded a prize more for political than cinematographic reasons, no matter what the jury said.

"(The jury's acclaim for Fahrenheit was an) out of the ordinary event that probably won't be repeated."

This year, Spanish actor JAVIER BARDEN, American novelist TONI MORRISON and Mexican actress SALMA HAYEK form the jury, which will judge films including STAR WARS - EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH and WOODY ALLEN's British comedy MATCH POINT.