Last year there was much grumbling — some of it in this newspaper — about the quality of those films competing for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. This year’s programme, which was announced this morning, is potentially a great deal juicier. There are new films from such distinguished directors as The Dardennes Brothers, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Pedro Almodovar, Nanni Moretti and Lars von Trier. Lynne Ramsay’s adpatation of Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin has made it in. Despite opening here a week before the festival kicks off, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life has also made the grade. Obviously, any one of these directors could deliver a dud, but punters will at least be in a position to approach the screenings in hopeful expectation. The most disapointing (if expected) ommission has to be David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method. It was already suspected that Cronenberg’s film on Freud and Jung would not be ready in time.

It is also worth noting that an Irish co-production has made it into the big league. Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must be the Place, starring Sean Penn and Francis McDormand was filmed here and was developed with Irish company Element Pictures.

The really diverting news, however, could be that a 3-D film has made it into the competition. No, it’s not Thor. The great Takashi Miike’s new film, Ichimei, will, indeed, requiring the wearing of special spectacles.

Other observations? Well, last year it was noted that not a single female director made it into the compeition. This year, with four women in the list, there are more than ever before. That has to be a good thing.

Anyway, here is the complete list. Click on the link above and you can also discover what’s playing in the slightly racier Un Certain Regard Section.