CANNES, France

The red carpet is rolled out for the 79th Cannes International Film Festival in southern France.

This year’s festival kicks off on Tuesday, offering 12 days filled with world premieres and will wrap up on May 23 with the prestigious Palme d’Or award ceremony, which is one of the film industry’s highest honors.

The opening night features “The Electric Kiss,” a French period comedy, and an honorary Palme d’Or will be awarded to director Peter Jackson, known for “The Lord of the Rings.”

Interestingly, what’s missing from Cannes is generating just as much buzz as what’s on display. Hollywood seems to have made a sparse showing this year.

While past blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Elvis” have premiered at Cannes, this year’s studio films seem hesitant, possibly due to fears of mixed reviews and the high costs of getting A-listers to the Riviera. The only significant Hollywood-related event is the anniversary celebration for “Fast and Furious.”

Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux mentioned on Monday that Hollywood is undergoing significant changes since the pandemic. He expressed hope that studio films would return to the festival.

The festival has been known recently for enthusiastic applause rather than criticism, and this year boasts a notable lineup of well-known filmmakers.

Among the filmmakers releasing new works are Pedro Almodóvar with “Bitter Christmas,” James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” Na Hong-jin with “Hope,” Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland,” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden.”

Even if Cannes is losing its role as a launchpad for major studio films, it continues to be a fertile ground for Oscar contenders.

Two years ago, Sean Baker’s “Anora” took home the Palme d’Or and later won Best Picture at the Oscars. Other films showcased last year, like “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent,” and “It Was an Accident,” remain relevant in the awards conversation.

Neon, a specialized distributor, often leads the Cannes-to-Oscar journey. They’ve had a remarkable track record with six Palme d’Or winners so far, and this year, over a quarter of the 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or are from Neon.

On Tuesday, the jurors who will select the award winners are expected to hold a press conference before beginning their film viewings in seclusion. South Korean director Park Chan-wook will head the nine-member panel, which includes Chloé Zhao, Demi Moore, and Stellan Skarsgård.

As an interesting backdrop, the fourth season of “The White Lotus” is being filmed in Cannes. Last month, cameras started rolling on this acclaimed HBO series.

While Hollywood blockbusters might be in short supply, the festival is not lacking in star power, featuring appearances from Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, and many more over the next two weeks.