Nearly three dozen famous film auteurs, including Canadians David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan, are set to deliver new short films to help celebrate the 60th anniversary this spring of the Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes director Gilles Jacob made the announcement on Tuesday, with 35 directors from 25 countries signed on to participate in the project, dubbed To Each His Cinema.

Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg has filmed his short in a restroom, Cannes festival director Gilles Jacob said.Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg has filmed his short in a restroom, Cannes festival director Gilles Jacob said.
(Canadian Press)

Each filmmaker will produce a three-minute film about the theme of moviegoing. The shorts will be packaged into one single film to be screened on May 20, during the 11-day festival. The final product is also scheduled for television broadcast by France's Canal Plus.

The directors themselves will not know what his or her colleagues have filmed until the final product's debut, Jacob said in a statement.

"They all accepted to discover them at the same time as the festival-goers themselves," he said.

Other filmmakers taking part include:

  • Olivier Assayas
  • Jane Campion
  • Chen Kaige
  • Ethan and Joel Coen
  • Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
  • Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
  • Takeshi Kitano
  • Ken Loach
  • Nanni Moretti
  • Roman Polanski
  • Walter Salles
  • Gus Van Sant
  • Lars Von Trier
  • Wim Wenders
  • Wong Kar Wai
  • Zhang Yimou

The 60th Cannes Film Festival is scheduled for May 16 to 27. British director Stephen Frears will preside over this year's jury and German actor Diane Kruger will serve as master of ceremonies.

With files from the Associated Press.