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Usually reserved for the bigger films and Oscar buzz titles, the Galas and Special Presentations section in Toronto should be populated with: the long awaited thriller from Richard Kelly (The Box), Julie Taymor's The Tempest starring Helen Mirren and coincidentally it would make sense for her hubby Taylor Hackford to bring Love Ranch for show. Part of the Canadian contingency, Jason Reitman has confirmed it himself that he'll bring Up in the Air and perhaps a spot would be reserved for Jean-Marc Vallee's Berlin preemed The Young Victoria.

For the most part, it appears that the festival is combining the old auteurs (Resnais) along with the new (Andrea Arnold), and have once again come to help out & support a filmmaker such as Lou Ye, who was banned from filmmaking in China for a couple of years for coming to Cannes with the uncensored Summer Palace (2006). This year he brings Spring Fever - about a young threesome overcome with erotic longings. Here are some thoughts on some of the announcements.

Cannes launched their new website and a spanking brand new poster hours before the anticipated announcement of the films that will make up the 2009 edition. This year's one sheet (a banner that will litter the entire Croisette) is an homage to last year's dearly departed Michelangelo Antonioni and his masterwork l’Avventura.

Apart from the world premiere of Michael Cuesta's Tell-Tale and one more festival screening and chance to shine for Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking, the selections are comprised of unknown projects, New York-based film productions that were completed in the last year, a bunch of films that receive a May theatrical release anyways and a batch of better than average films that were showcased at Sundance.

Ballast might have lead the total number of nominations, but it is Frozen River who picked up a pair, including Gotham Awards’ top prize. Really?