Cannes Film Festival 2017 kicks off

The gathering on the southern French coast, where 19 films will be vying for the coveted Palme d'Or top prize and hundreds more will be screened, also comes with a higher security status than in previous years.

Ten months after a truck attack in nearby Nice killed 86 people, concrete barriers - in the form of giant flower pots - have been set up to try to block any similar assault. Snipers have been positioned above sensitive sites for what is the world's biggest film festival.

Patrick Mairesse, a top regional security official, said the objective was to be as "invisible as possible, to cause as little nuisance as possible - so the party can stay a party."

But unprecedented numbers of police and soldiers have been deployed and a French warship lies at anchor off the beach.

Airport-style security gates and bag searches are also in operation at the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of curious tourists as well as the Hollywood elite.

France remains under a state of emergency following the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris, one of several jihadist assaults that have claimed 239 lives nationwide in the past two years.

Despite the tough measures, glamour reigns on the palm-fringed Croisette promenade along the glittering Mediterranean coast.

Hardcore fans started setting up stepladders outside the Palais des Festivals venue a full 24 hours early, hoping for selfies as their favourite stars head down the red carpet.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar will be leading the competition jury, which also includes Smith, "Interstellar" star Jessica Chastain, and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.